Tony Bennett is blessed with one of the finest voices this side of Frank Sinatra, and he knows it too. That’s not to say he’s arrogant. He actually seems baffled about the amount of freedom his success has brought him.

‘’I used to be considered the Madonna of my day,’’ he joked with the crowed at The Garden State Arts Centre on Thursday night, ‘’and I don’t have to take my clothes off either!’’

Bennett tried a little bit of tenderness and it worked. As bemused as he was charming, the 68-year old singer showered his predominantly age 40-plus audience with what he described as some of the most '‘credible American popular songs ever written'’

He entered by way of a slightly rushed ‘Devil Moon’ and left 26 songs later with a stunning rendition of ‘When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall.’ In between, he musically wined and dined the audience with a menu of songs highlighted with old standards, including ‘It Had To Be You,’ ‘Rags To Riches’ and ‘Fly Me To The Mon.’

It helped having a terrific band and orchestra behind him. The Ralph Sharon Trio, who also appear on the singer’s Fred Astaire tribute album Steppin’ Out, were awe inspiring in their dexterity. Clayton Cameron, once a drummer for Sammy Davis Jr., almost stole the show with a solo. Stand-up bass player Doug Richeson was a connoisseur when it came to leaving the right amount of space for Bennett’s vocals at exactly the right moment. This enabled Bennett to venture into areas most singers wouldn’t dream of – let alone pursue.

Bennett’s rendition of ‘Yesteryears’ was enthused, ‘The Good Life’ was optimistic whilst ‘When Joanna Loved Me’ was more than melancholy.

‘Once Upon A Time’ sent shivers hurtling down the spine. It was the high point of the performance and surely one of the top ten all-time sensitive songs ever performed at the venue. The answer-back orchestration for the song was simply gorgeous. It enabled the singer to subtly improvise by simultaneously playing the part(s) of both narrator and jilted lover, whilst creating a mood that recalled such tranquility as that of Bennett’s own Renoir-influenced paintings.

Veteran comedians The Smothers Brothers, performed their opening stand-up act exceedingly well – and were as a result, hilarious. Might I finally conclude by saying neither they, nor Bennett, left their hearts in San Francisco – nor rested on their laurels.

As Astaire once said, that’s entertainment.