[Dixielandjazz] Tony Bennett interviewed

[Harry Callaghan]

Nice article, Bob

I am of course reminded of Frank Sinatra, who in a Life magazine article
once called Tony "the best in the business"

And as to longevity, wasn't it also Frank who once said "May you live to be
100 and may the last voice you hear be mine"

Many thanx
HC

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 10:52 AM, Robert Ringwald <rsr at ringwald.com> wrote:

> Not "Dixieland" but interesting, I hope to a lot of Listmates.
>
>
> Tony Bennett interviewed
>
> Tony Bennett Won't Dumb Down
> One singer fights against American idiots
> by Jed Gottlieb
> Boston Herald, February 2, 2011
>
> Tony Bennett plans on going on forever.
> You can try talking to him about retirement, but the 84-year-old legend
> will have
> none of it. But Bennett, who performs at Citi Wang Theatre on Saturday,
> happily discussed
> everything from Duke Ellington to "the idiots" in the music business when
> he phoned
> the Herald from his home in New York City.
> Herald: For 60 years, you've watched the music you love besieged from all
> sides by
> new genres -- but you've always stuck by the songs that are so important to
> you.
> Have you ever been tempted to try to adapt your music to the changing
> times?
> Bennett: I had very good teachers, some of the best, and one thing they
> taught me
> was, never compromise. I grew up, and this isn't just an opinion, with the
> greatest
> group of composers we've seen in a hundred years: Irving Berlin, Cole
> Porter, Duke
> Ellington, all of them.
> Herald: Basically, great art is great art and that's why you're still
> singing these
> classic songs?
> Bennett: Yes, great art lasts. To me the whole premise is that if it's
> good, it's
> good. Now the corporations think that it's old music. But what's the
> biggest pop
> song to come from Sweden or France or Germany? Our country has given the
> world the
> greatest popular music, "Night and Day" by Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart's
> "Blue
> Moon." We did that and I'm convinced that 35 years from now this will be
> called America's
> classical music.
> Herald: You think it was the record companies that rejected this music on
> their quest
> for new sounds such as rock 'n' roll or rap or whatever?
> Bennett: Now it's about making a quick buck. The people who run the music
> industry
> think the public are idiots, but they're the idiots for not giving the
> people music
> of quality. You always have to respect the fans.
> Herald: Do you think this is why Rod Stewart is doing standards albums? Why
> people
> like Harry Connick Jr. and Michael Buble become huge? Because there is
> always an
> audience looking for this kind of music?
> Bennett: Remember, this music has always been popular. I've been doing this
> since
> 1950 and internationally there's always been enough demand for me to play
> stadiums.
> But I dislike playing big stadiums, where you have to shout and use this
> big sound
> system, no finesse in that. I like playing beautiful concert halls. That's
> still
> 2,700 people, it's still a lot of people. Remember, Hitler had a bigger
> audience
> than any rock band ever, but that didn't make him any good.
> Herald: Is there any modern music you like?
> Bennett: Oh, sure, there's lots. I like the two you mentioned, Harry
> Connick and
> Michael Buble, just great. I've always been a big fan of Paul McCartney and
> everything
> he's done. And there are plenty of others. But I go back to what I grew up
> on. I
> remember taking lessons in New York and looking out at all the marquees
> advertising
> Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum and later Miles Davis, Stan Getz,
> John
> Coltrane. There was a lot more going on then.
> Herald: I know you don't talk of retirement but do you think about a time
> when your
> voice can't do it?
> Bennett: It's not like I'm an athlete. My voice can keep going. And I've
> still got
> so much to learn.
> -30
>
>
>
> --Bob Ringwald
> www.ringwald.com
> Fulton Street Jazz Band
> 530/ 642-9551 Office
> 916/ 806-9551 Cell
> Amateur (Ham) Radio K6YBV
>
> After a night of drink, drugs and wild sex Bill woke up to find himself
> next to a
> really ugly woman.
> That's when he realized he had made it home safely.
>
>
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