New Collectibles • New Muppet Whatnot and Monster Puppets • 11/10 - Classic Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days DVD Box Set and A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street Book • 11/03 - Fraggle Rock Season 4 DVD, A Merry Fraggle Holiday DVD and Fraggle Rock Complete Series Collection Giftset • 10/06 - Elmo's Animal Adventures DVD • 9/29 - A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa DVD, The Dark Crystal Blu-Ray and Labyrinth Blu-Ray • 9/1 - Elmo's World: All About Faces DVD • Robert Tonner Dolls: Miss Piggy Classic, My Fair Piggy and Miss Piggy Takes Manhattan • 8/1 - Sid the Science Kid: Change Happens DVD and Sid the Science Kid: The Bug Club DVD • 7/1 - Muppet Show Comic Issue #4 Miss Piggy's Story and Muppet Robin Hood Issue #2 • 6/3 - Muppet Show Comic Issue #3 Gonzo's Story • 6/2 - Elmo & Abby's Birthday Fun DVD • 5/27 - Muppet Robin Hood Issue #1 • 5/19 - Kermit Culture Book: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson’s Muppets • 5/19 - Sesame Street Silly Songs CD • 5/4 - Sid the Science Kid CD - Volume 1 Join the Muppet Central Mailing List

Bennett and Kermit sing on new CD

Courtesy of Columbia Records and Sony Wonder
September 16, 1998

As he enters his 50th year in show business, Columbia Records artist Tony Bennett is releasing "The Playground,'' a delightful new chapter in his ongoing tribute to the Great American Songbook. Filled with songs and performances designed for parents and kids to enjoy together.

Tony shares the mike and duets with some very special guests: Kermit the Frog (on "Bein' Green'' and "Firefly''), Rosie O'Donnell (on "Put On A Happy Face''), and the ever-so-ticklish Elmo (on "Little Things'').  The episode of Muppet Tonight in which Tony Bennett stared earned an Emmy Award last year.

The album will also feature such swinging interpretations of family classics like "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive,'' "Swingin' On A Star,'' and "(It's Only) A Paper Moon.''

For the album, Tony has joined forces with his longtime collaborator Ralph Sharon on piano, Clayton Cameron on drums, Paul Langosch on bass and Gray Sargent on guitar. Several of "The Playground's'' 16 tracks feature a children's choir and the CD packaging will include song lyrics. The title song, "The Playground,'' was originally an instrumental composition by the late jazz pianist Bill Evans, who collaborated with Tony on two critically-acclaimed albums in the 1970s. Tony approached songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman to write lyrics to Evans' music and the result became "The Playground's'' opening cut.

"The Playground'' was produced by Tony Bennett and Danny Bennett, his son and manager; the album was recorded and mixed by Joel Moss.