LOOKING BACK at LOOKING BACK

Over the years, we learned that sometimes it was best to have a musician interview another musician, because there would be an instant ease and shorthand between them. Our subjects clearly opened up in these situations, in a way that they would never have done with a jazz writer or critic. We thought you’d enjoy reading a few select excerpts from our back pages, in which artists from the contemporary scene spoke with jazz greats about some of their peers and mentors—all legends in the history of jazz. LEE MERGNER

TONY BENNETT, interviewed by BILL CHARLAP (2006)

CHARLAP: Can you tell me about your relationship with Count Basie?

What happened with Count Basie and myself was a little ahead of time, because the record companies, generally, were very hesitant about having Black artists. The record companies didn’t consider them commercial—they wouldn’t sell down south. I realized personally that it was very wrong, and they were really creating the best music I ever heard. I came up with this idea that I wanted to sing with Count Basie, and we broke a lot of rules in those days. For instance, the Copacabana—I always played there—they never had Black artists. I was able to get Count Basie into the Copa, and it went over magnificently. Then we went into the Casino in Philadelphia, and we recorded there, and it was the beginning of stereo. We did a record in mono, and it was wonderful, but then some foolish producer who was in charge of it—I forget his name at this point—said we had to re-record it in a studio because we have stereo now and we’ll put the applause in. It was a disaster. But then I made a record with Count Basie later on Roulette. And that came