Bennett leaves his heart in Valley

'Youngstown is one of my favorite cities,' the singer told the audience. By GUY D'ASTOLFO VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER YOUNGSTOWN -- Tony Bennett's voice gave the new Youngstown Convocation Center an acoustics test, and it passed with flying colors. Performing with a four-piece ensemble Sunday night, Bennett's warm, smoky voice carried through the arena, filling every nook and creating an intimate evening for an attentive audience. The arena opened Saturday night with a raucous rock concert featuring 3 Doors Down, with electric guitars and stacks of amplifiers. But Sunday's show put the focus on a solo voice. And every word Bennett sang was heard crystal clear in the hockey arena. When he reached a crescendo or held a closing note, there wasn't a hint of echo or distortion. It was a theater-type crowd that swarmed into the arena on the clear and just-slightly-brisk evening, filling every seat on the floor and sides, before thinning out in the back of the hall. Quite a few limos lined the parking lot. Inside, a black backdrop framed the ensemble members -- playing a Steinway grand piano, cello, guitar and drums -- before Bennett, impeccably dressed in a black suit and with his famously familiar face, took the stage. After a few songs, including "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "Maybe This Time," Bennett took a moment to address the audience. "Youngstown is one of my favorite cities in the whole world," he said, before noting that it was here that the first museum exhibition of his paintings was held. He thanked Dr. Louis Zona, director of the Butler Museum of American Art, who was in the house. Bennett related how Bob Hope gave him his showbiz name early in his career. After a show with Pearl Bailey, Hope called him over and asked him his name. "Joe Barry, I told him, because that is what I was going by at the time," he said. "Bob said 'Joe Barry? That sounds like a city in Italy. What's your real name?' I told him Anthony Dominic Benedetto. He said 'that's a little too long for the marquee. We'll call you Tony Bennett." A sample of his repertoire Bennett ran through "All of Me," "Speak Low," "I Got Rhythm" and "I'll Be Seeing You In All the Familiar Places" before introducing his daughter, Antonia Bennett, who sang two songs. He also sang Hank Williams' "Cold Cold Heart," which didn't sound the least bit country. The dapper Bennett then dusted off his old hits, including "I Want to be There to Pick Up the Pieces" and "Steppin' Out." A rendition of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" prompted the first standing ovation of the night. Other songs Bennett sang included "Smile Though Your Heart Is Breaking, "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Fly Me to the Moon." With the crowd on its feet again, Bennett left the stage and returned for an encore that featured a medley of Duke Ellington songs that included solos by each member of his band. Bennett sensed the electric atmosphere brought on by the convergence of beautiful weather, a new arena and an excited audience. "What a night!" he exclaimed, early in the show. Ninety minutes later, when the lights came up to end the concert, a drained Bennett lingered on stage for a full minute, basking in the thunderous applause. What a night, indeed.