Tony Bennett won the 2000 Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.
The album is a tribute to Duke Ellington, one of the most important composers and bandleaders in jazz history. Bennett interprets Ellington-associated standards with arrangements that preserve the songs’ swing and melodic sophistication.
Bennett’s partnership with the Ellington repertoire connected two major American popular-music traditions: the classic vocal-pop songbook and big-band jazz. The Grammy recognized Bennett’s continuing ability to make this material sound contemporary without abandoning its historical character.
The title is sometimes shortened to Bennett Sings Ellington, but the full album title includes the subtitle Hot & Cool. Traditional pop categories have changed names over the years, so older winners may appear under slightly different labels.