Legendary crooner Tony Bennett breezed into the Jubilee Auditorium last night.

For the capacity audience, it wasn't a concert but a 90-minute love-in.

They gave him a standing ovation as he walked on stage, halfway through his set and when he tried to leave.

Did he deserve it?

He's been an entertainer for six decades. As he said, he's the original American Idol.

For 81, there's still a great deal of swing in his voice.

He may not be able to hit certain notes or sustain them as long as he once did, but his genius is that rather than straining for them, he nurses a more comfortable note instead.

He was able to turn the massive Jubilee Auditorium into an intimate piano bar, because his songs are gentle and his style mellow.

His four-piece band is as much a part of his show as the nostalgia of his songs.

He graciously gives them the stage for a third of the evening, allowing himself to rest and them to shine with their playing.

It's amazing to think he covered the Hank Williams country song, Cold Cold Heart, 60 years ago.

Even his signature song, I Left My Heart In San Francisco, is 45 years old.

When you have the privilege of spending time with Tony Bennett, you know you're not just in the presence of a legend.

But in the presence of genuine greatness.