Bennett has described his singing as being influenced by jazz pianist Art Tatum's sense of structure and phrasing, by the sound of saxophonists Lester Young and Stan Getz, and by the unique talents of other jazz giants such as Count Basie, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong. In 1956, the British composer and pianist Ralph Sharon began his tenure as Bennett's musical director, pianist, and accompanist. During the 1950s and 1960s, Bennett recorded a series of hits for Columbia Records,...