The two first met at the Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York City in 2011, and later recorded a rendition of "The Lady Is a Tramp" together, after which they began discussing plans of working on a jazz project.

The album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Anything Goes" and "I Can't Give You Anything but Love", which both reached number one on Billboard's Jazz Digital Songs Chart in the United States.

In 2011, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga first met after she had performed a rendition of Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky" at the Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York City.

[4][5] In September 2012, Bennett confirmed to Rolling Stone that Gaga wanted to record a jazz album with him and there was a well-known composer associated with the project, and although not on a par with songwriters like George Gershwin or Cole Porter, he had had several hits to his name.

In January 2013, Evans confirmed that he would have a fairly significant part in the making of the album, stating "I don't know at this point exactly how many songs will be on the CD, but I'm sure we'll have about four or five different-sized orchestras or bands.

"[10] He told Chicago Tribune that his main intention of recording the album with Gaga was to introduce the jazz standards to a younger audience, believing that the tracks had a "universal appeal" and "timeless quality" about them.

[4] Although the project was in development and discussions were taking place as early as September 2012, the recording did not start until the Spring of 2013, being delayed by Gaga's hip surgery and cancellation of her Born This Way Ball tour.

Bennett's quartet was present, including Mike Renzi, Gray Sargent, Harold Jones and Marshall Wood as well as pianist Tom Lanier.

[4] According to Gaga, Bennett wanted her to sing different songs and was impressed by her vocals during "Lush Life", referring to the Billy Strayhorn–written standard that has been recorded by everyone from Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan to Donna Summer and Linda Ronstadt.

Gaga had informed the musicians about performing the song, and piano player Alex Smith made the necessary musical arrangements the night before the concert.

Written by eccentric songwriter eden ahbez, the song about a "strange enchanted boy" features instrumentation from flutes and drums, and has an orchestral arrangement.

A loungier version, Gaga sings in a Liza Minnelli inspired voice with a breathy range, followed by Bennett complimenting her with the story of meeting the titular character.

On July 29, 2014, Bennett and Gaga appeared on The Today Show to formally announce their collaboration and confirmed the final release date in the US as September 23, 2014.

[31] Gaga's look with her massive black curls in the image was compared by Kirthana Ramisetti from New York Daily News to singer Cher's character in the 1987 American romantic comedy Moonstruck.

[34] In June 2014, Gaga began promoting the album through a series of public appearances with and without Bennett, the first of them being at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York City.

[37][38] At the 2014 New York Fashion Week party, Gaga performed "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", dedicating it to her then boyfriend, actor Taylor Kinney.

The music special gave fans an exclusive look behind-the-scenes at the making of the album, as well as never-before-seen footage of the two artists collaborating in the recording studio.

[16] Before the announcement of the release, a short concert was held at the Rose Theater of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on July 28.

Bennett and Gaga were joined onstage by a 39-piece orchestra conducted by Jorge Calandrelli, soloists Chris Botti on trumpet and David Mann on tenor sax, and jazz musicians associated with both artists.

[42] On September 13, 2014, Bennett joined Gaga onstage at the ArtRave tour in Tel Aviv, Israel to sing selected tracks from the album.

Their performance received positive reviews, with The Daily Telegraph's Anne Bilson giving it four out of five stars, complimenting their vocals, saying "Bennett had the lungs to compensate, and Gaga had the moves.

[52] They also performed at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards and its scheduled a post-Grammy concert on February 8, 2015, at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, just after the conclusion of the ceremony.

The final chorus finds the two singers belting together, described as "join[ing] forces for a peculiar, yet potent blend of styles that transcends generations and genres".

Jon Blistein from Rolling Stone complimented the video, saying that it "proves [Bennett and Gaga] exude a unique, adorable brand of musical chemistry".

He added that Gaga could have been a "habitué of Upper Manhattan piano bars and supper clubs.. as Stefani Germanotta, classy singer of standards".

[84] Writing for the National Post, Mike Doherty observed that Gaga took "liberties with the beat, bends notes, purrs and whoops away" with the vocals, while Bennett was able to complement with his characteristic "dapper approach".

[86] Jim Farber from New York Daily News awarded the album with four out of five stars, claiming that "Gaga has always been a power singer" and "She has a lot of Liza Minnelli in her".

[75] Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly commented that Bennett and Gaga are "in–if not quite heaven, then at least a pretty swell piano bar" and gave the album B+.

"[77] San Francisco Chronicle writer Aidin Vaziri was disappointed with Bennett and Gaga not "highlight[ing] each other's wildly distinguishing features", adding that "the background music is far more exciting than the people singing over it".

[88] Mikael Wood from Los Angeles Times complimented Gaga's vocals in the album but panned her "cheap exploitation: of a bunch of important songs she brings nothing to; of an 88-year-old legend with whom she has zero chemistry; and, most disappointingly, of our eagerness to follow her down an unlikely creative path.