Music

Photo Gallery: Tony Bennett & daughter Antonia

He's still the king. Tony Bennett, whose hits include "If I Ruled the World," ruled Rancho Mirage on Thursday in a sold-out concert at Agua Caliente Casino.

Bennett's biggest hit is "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," but even more than the Bay Area, Rancho Mirage is Bennett's kind of town and a hotbed for his kind of music.

"I love it here because my greatest friend in the entire world lived here, Frank Sinatra," he told audicnes.

Bennett, 83, was performing on a street named for Bob Hope, the comedian who discovered him in 1949, according to his Columbia Records bio.

"Bob Hope, he gave me my stage name, Tony Bennett," he told audiences.

During his 90 minutes on stage, Bennett paid tribute to many other entertainers and songwriters that have been part of his long career.

"I've been doing this for 50 years -- I'll be honest with you, it's 60 years! I love it!"

Wearing a dark suit accented by a red handkerchief, he showed off his high notes and jazz phrasing on such standards as "Watch What Happens" and "I Got Rhythm."

The second half of the concert focused on highlights of his recording career, numbers such as "Just in Time," "Stranger in Paradise," "The Good Life," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Smile."

He turned Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life" and his closer, "How Do You Keep the Music Playing," into personal anthems.

Bennett's daughter Antonia opened the evening with four songs, performing with her father's four-man jazz combo.

She later returned for a duet with her father on Stephen Sondheim's "Old Friends" that included a hint of a soft shoe.

Bennett's next concert in the region is April 18 at Pala Casino Spa & Resort, south of Temecula and in San Diego County.

Reach Fielding Buck at 951-368-9551 or fbuck@PE.com