New Tony Bennett Box Set Celebrates 65 Years of Music

Tony Bennett has been making music for over 65 years and has created an enormous body of work. In honor of the legendary singer’s 85th birthday, Columbia Records, RPM Records, and Legacy Recordings are releasing Tony Bennett – The Complete Collection, a Bennett box set that will include 73 CDs and 3 DVDs.

The Tony Bennett box set will include the singer’s entire catalogue, including a pair of previously unreleased albums. “On the Glory Road,” which was recorded in June of 1962, and “Live at the Sahara,” which was recorded over four nights during April 1964 in Las Vegas. The Complete Collection will also include a two disks of “Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights,” which will feature Bennett’s first recording, a 1946 take of “St. James Infirmary Blues.”

Bennett writes in the introduction of the box set:

“It amazes me to realize that it has been over 60 years since I was signed to Columbia Records… My ambition has always been to create a hit catalogue rather than hit records… I have been fortunate enough to introduce some three dozen songs into the ‘Great American Songbook.'”

Bennett is also releasing a new album this September. Tony Bennett Duets II will be released on September 20th. The new duets album will feature classic Bennett tracks performed by modern artists like Lady Gaga, Nora Jones, and Amy Winehouse.

Bennett told Billboard.com:

“You know, there’s 73 albums in that box set, and there’s not one side that makes me cringe when I hear it. It’s the best orchestrations, the best artists playing on the records and there’s a quality in the engineering, so I’m very proud of that work I did.”

Tony Bennett – The Complete Collection will be available from Barnes and Noble on November 8th. You can also buy a digital copy of the album at Tonybennett.com.