The Coaster

By ELLEN CARROLL

Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco but he loved his night in Asbury Park.

His 90-minute, sold-out concert at the Paramount Theatre Saturday brought the crowd to their feet several times and delighted three generations of fans.

As Ocean Township resident Tom Patten observed, He keeps going and going and going.
He is an icon, Patten said.

The concert was a benefit for the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County. Kelli Very, development director at the club, said although all the figures are not in the organization hopes to realize $50,000 from the show.

It was great, she said. His tour manager said he could not remember the last time he played a 90-minute concert. He was only scheduled to play a 60- to 75-minute set.

Valerie Calucci Trembly of Ocean Grove said she loves Tony Bennett.

He is one of our favorites, she said. We saw him at the Great Auditorium years ago before he played unplugged.

Jack Green senior, of Ocean Grove, was at the concert as a gift from his son who purchased the tickets for him for Fathers Day.

Jack Kamin of Allenhurst bought a ticket for his mom as a surprise and she got to meet the singer after the show.

We had a great time, Kamin said. He is 81 and his voice is like a kids.

Asbury Park resident John Carroll also described the show as great and said he was also at the show to support the Boys and Girls Club.

This is a watershed event for the city and the beginning of the Cinderella summer of Asbury Park, he said.

During the hour and a half onstage Bennett praised the Paramount Theatre saying he has played in many places but none sounded so good.

This hall is beautiful, he said. If any of the town fathers are here, please dont make this an insurance company.

To illustrate his point about the halls wonderful acoustics, he sang one ballad without a microphone and to hear the response from the audience, everyone heard it and loved it.

He also said he was impressed with the work being done in the city.

What you are going to do here is magnificent, he said.

Some of the ballads he performed included his signature song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco and Fly Me to the Moon, Hank Williams Cold, Cold Heart, Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) and Because of You.

Asbury Park resident Frank DAlessandro called the show a glorious event.

It’s obvious that Tony Bennett is a national treasure, he said. And so is the historic Paramount Theatre. At one point, when he sang without the benefit of amplification to demonstrate the beautiful acoustics of the almost 80 year-old theater, it gave me goosebumps.

Maureen Nevin, a city resident, said Bennett was amazing.

From his distinctive voice to histoes, with that little dance he did at the end, she said. He defied all the negatives of advanced years,while benefiting from the considerable decades he has had to hone his craft. He moved me to tears when he acknowledged the city’s need to preserve the Paramount Theater.

Bennetts latest CD, Tony Bennett sings the Ultimate American Songbook Vol. 1, has just been released and he is the subject of a documentary, produced by Clint Eastwood, titled, Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends.

Don Taylor of Manasquan said Bennett was every bit as good or even better than when he saw him at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank a few years ago.

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