Amy Winehouse’s duet here on ‘Body And Soul’ may yet turn out to be her last will and testament. But while she acquits herself well, and with her once-trademark spark, it would be a pity if it distracted too much attention from the rest of an album that is replete with classy duets with the man who left his heart (but not his voice) in San Fran.
Throughout, Bennett adopts the role of scout leader, keeping a supervisory eye on his charges. He and Lady Gaga positively sparkle on ‘The Lady Is A Tramp’ and ‘Speak Low’ with Norah Jones simmers with a suggestive intimacy. kd lang and Bennett also bring a loving respect to ‘Blue Velvet’, a song lesser mortals might suffocate with kindness.
The duets with females work best, with John Mayer’s limitations exposed by the master on ‘One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)’ whilst Michael Bublé’s efforts on ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore’ also confirm the gulf in class. Even Andrea Bocelli, who joins Bennett on ‘Stranger In Paradise’, struggles to deliver real emotion. Best of the blokes is Willie Nelson, who brings a sense of mischief to ‘Sunny Side Of The Street’.
But with 17 generous tracks, snappy arrangements and a cast that also includes Aretha Franklin, Faith Hill and Sheryl Crow, it’s hard to find many reasons for turning this collection down.