When Canadian heart-throb Michael Buble took to the stage in New York with legendary crooner Tony Bennett on Tuesday night it was a dream come true.
For the Vancouver-born singing sensation, who recently paired up with Tony on a collection of duets with a series of other top names from the music scene, the gig was a chance to be reunited with the man he describes as "my idol".
After teaming up with the music vet on his latest oeuvre, Michael was keen to acknowledge the debt he owes him. "I studied every move this guy made," he admits. "When I was a kid, I sang into a mirror, holding a brush for a microphone and mouthing the words to his records."
At the Tuesday night concert in Madison Square Garden, however, the microphone was real and the output a joint affair as the pair wowed the Big Apple audience with a rendition of Just In Time.
And if Michael was keen to sing the music veteran's praises after cutting his contribution to the new album, Tony is similarly eloquent about the 31-year-old Canadian. "Michael has 'it'," he said. "I haven't heard screams like that since Sinatra."
Also belting out duets with the 80-year-old singer were Natalie Cole and Elvis Costello. "Whenever he hits the stage...I'm almost certain Tony is going to sing something that I've loved for a long, long time," said Elvis.
The new album Tony Bennett: Duets/An American Classic, which also features Elvis' expectant wife Diana Krall, and fellow Canadian KD Lang, hits shelves this week.
Photo: Canadian Press
Photo: Canadian Press
