Eddie Bruce is a celebrated Philadelphia-based singer, entertainer, and media personality best known for his acclaimed musical tributes to Peter Allen, Frank Sinatra, and a certain gentleman who was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926.  Sue Matsuki is a multiple-award winning singer/songwriter, producer, open mic host, educator, and writer who is considered by many in New York City to be cabaret royalty. What happened when these two popular performers combined their forces for The Tony Bennett Centennial Celebration? On Sunday, July 26th at Manhattan’s legendary The Cutting Room, Eddie and Sue invited both their dedicated and new fans alike to sit back and, in the words of their luscious opening duet, “Watch What Happens“!

There’s a reason why Tony Bennett’s mark on musical history is so long-lasting, transcending generations from Boomers to those whose who knew of Bennett solely from his association with Lady Gaga.  The man was responsible for bringing us some of pop culture’s most enduring hits, including Because of You and a certain song honoring the City by the Bay.  It takes a superior talent to take on Bennett’s legacy, and Eddie Bruce succeeds with all the style and grandeur that his idol was famous for in his own live performances. Mr. Bruce’s voice is strong and powerful, and he had ample opportunity to show off those impressive notes, starting right away with the kickoff track.  For I Wanna Be Around, he delivered the lyric “When somebody breaks your heart like you broke MIIIINE!” with perfect emotional resilience.  He proceeded to do great justice to favorites like Steppin’ Out With My Baby and If I Ruled the World. It was when Bruce expertly sang the lyrics “Steppin’ out with my baby, I can’t go wrong ’cause I’m in right; Ask me when will the day be, The big day may be TONIGHT!” that we realized that the song has hardly aged through the years; it captures the feeling of anyone who still values the spirit of a Saturday night!  Sung by Mr. Bruce and superbly adorned by his trio of musicians, those lyrics sound better than ever in 2026. With If I Ruled the World, he delivered one of those aforementioned killer notes in the finale.

Just as Tony Bennett knew how to select his creative partners so well, Eddie Bruce found the perfect pairing with Sue Matsuki.  Their personal chemistry is not a happy coincidence: Eddie and Sue have been friends for 40 (!) years!  They both have wonderful stage presences, and complement each other both physically and personality-wise, even when they aren’t singing.  Hearing the pair join forces for the timeless Cheek to Cheek— and yes, they did do a brief dance together– was pure pleasure.  The two also share a love for sharing personal stories as well as a wicked sense of humor, which came in handy during their playful duet The Lady is a Tramp midway through the show. Ms. Matsuki has proudly earned her status in her field. That said, no matter how often I have watched her on stage, she always impresses me with how unblemished her voice remains. Like Mr. Bruce, that voice can indeed command attention (She can BELT when needed!), but she can also sing with a sweet delicacy that compliments Eddie’s more imposing persona so well.  (Listen to her deliver the lush lyrics “You’d be so nice, Just like paradise, to come home to and LOVE!…” for proof.) And, like Bruce, she had her many moments when she delivered that perfect note– too many to mention, in fact.  Tony Bennett, as Sue shared with the audience, had an affinity for the music of Cole Porter, and one of the chosen selections was Because of You segueing into Night and Day.  As can be said about so many of the songs performed that afternoon, the oft-redone Night and Day doesn’t seem to age at all: As sang by Sue, it sounded just as wonderful now as it did when it first came out.  And how did Sue know that Porter’s Love For Sale is one of my favorite songs of all time?  Speaking of Bennett’s famous friends, Tony was close acquaintances with singer Julie Wilson.  Sue Matsuki created an entire show dedicated to the legacy of Wilson, with whom she was close friends.  As a result, But Beautiful became yet another wonderful duet between Eddie and Sue as well as an example of Dean Schneider’s exquisite piano work.  This one was a stunner. 

This may be a good time to state that Bruce and Matsuki surrounded themselves with three fine musicians: Dean Schneider on piano, Lew Leabman on percussion, and Brian Glassman on bass.  The camaraderie between the musicians and the singers was very palpable.  

Eddie Bruce joked about how much he talked as much he sang during his performances.  But in this case, that was a VERY good thing for the audience.  Bennett had a L-O-N-G history in the entertainment business– but for those in the attendance that afternoon who did not know about Tony Bennett in his heyday, Bruce offered some great trivia about his creative inspiration. The one which I found most fascinating was that Bennett became a pop culture presence in his 60’s, thanks to a certain new cultural phenomenon known as… MTV!   Eddie shared a photo of he and Bennett together and recalled a story of their meeting. Toward the end of the show, he also honored two of his idol’s traditions: One of them was singing a number WITHOUT the mic, and that song was the eternal fave Fly Me to the Moon.  The other tradition was ending the evening show with one certain song that Bennett always ended his show with. (Remember that certain song honoring the City by the Bay?) Of course, this wasn’t REALLY the ending.  There was indeed an encore.  I won’t give that away, but I will say that Eddie Bruce and Sue Matsuki sent the audience home with a bang… Actually, they sent them home with a “swing”! Let’s hope these two get together again very soon.  In the meantime, visit http://www.EddieBruce.com and http://www.SueMatsuki.com.