Tony Bennett performs tonight at Trask Coliseum as part of the entertainment accompanying this year’s Azalea Festival. Bennett is a performer with a 50-year career and a slab of hit records that reflect his champion reputation across the world.

Bennett is currently celebrating the release of his new album “The Playground,” which features such familiar faces as Ralph Sharon on piano. Sharon has contributed his piano sensibilities on many of Bennett’s previous albums. For this particular concert, Bennett will be singing songs off of “The Playground” as well as cuts off “Sings Ellington/ Hot And Cold” which won the Best Traditional Pop Music Performance Grammy in 2000.

Bennett is best known for his 1962 remake, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” This was a comeback for Bennett, who had not seen success since his consecutive chart-toppers in the 50’s. Songs like “Rags To Riches,” “Just In Time” and “Cinnamon Sinner” were staples for the crooner phenomenon.

Throughout the 60’s, albums such as “I Wanna Be Around,” “The Many Moods Of Tony” and “The Movie Song Album” held spots in the US Top 40 charts. In addition to Sharon, these releases saw Bennett collaborating with jazz masters Ruby Braff and Bill Evans, as well as composer Robert Farnon.

The constant association with fellow crooner, Frank Sinatra, has proven very beneficial to Bennett’s determination. Bennett’s unique voice, coupled with his signature class, has pushed him into a league all his own. Although the comparison between Sinatra and himself has been an unshaken deadweight Bennett has fought with his whole career, Bennett’s individuality is overpowering to those familiar with his music.

Bennett has worked hard to close the generation gap. His introduction to many young audiences for the first time, through his appearances on the David Letterman Show and MTV, gained him a lot of attention and acceptance. He even shared the stage with Billy Idol, They Might Be Giants, Juliana Hatfield and Porno for Pyros, among others, for a Christmas concert.

Bennett’s awards have been well deserved, even after coming so late in his career. In 1993 and ’94 he was awarded two Grammys for Best Traditional Pop Performance for the albums “Perfectly Frank” and “Steppin’ Out.” Packing on two more Grammys and a World Music Award in 1995 was an honor, once again, for Bennett. His album at the time, spending 35 weeks at the top of the jazz charts, was the MTV recorded “Unplugged” performance. Now, Bennett has accumulated eight Grammy awards throughout his lifetime.

This hip swinger of the past and present will be gracing our campus today. If you are interested in experiencing the music of Tony Bennett, come see him perform at Trask Coliseum.