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The album with Costello could change all that; "Grace of My Heart," which also appears on Live on Letterman: Music From the Late Show (the new album of music from The Late Show With David Letterman), is not a flawless gem, but it does more than simply remind us of what once was. The Elvis-Burt record could herald the genuine Bacharach comeback -- instead of paying tribute to the past, we might be able to celebrate a bright present.
Not that Bacharach isn't above a little homage: In April, he will gather a dozen singers -- the likely roster so far includes Costello, Warwick, Oasis' Noel Gallagher, and Luther Vandross -- for a special to be taped in New York City and broadcast on TNT. They will recite all the sacred texts one more time, and Bacharach will make sure they get it right.
"I like performing these songs," he says, smiling. "It's not like I walk down the streets in Santa Monica and get a standing ovation, you know? A composer always has contact with his audience, but it's not like performing. The fact that I'm recognizable to people, that they come up in airports and on planes and say, 'I really like your music' -- what more could you want?
