ALL BACK TO MY PLACE

Tony Bennett! Kosmo Vinyl! Pixie Geldof! But which one doesn’t love Louis Armstrong?

What music are you currently grooving to? Beyoncé’s newest record. She’s wonderful, a very, very talented person, and I like everything about her – there’s great choreography, she dresses beautiful and the audience loves her so! And those records that last for years, by Ella Fitzgerald. And Lady Gaga. The public adores her!

What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album? There are so many, but all the things that Miles Davis did, and what he did with Gil Evans, I loved it very much.

What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it? It was Bing Crosby, White Christmas, during the holidays. He taught us all, all the singers, how to make a living! He was the first one that was by himself. I just loved how relaxed he was.

Which musician, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be? Louis Armstrong. Nobody was better, he was a poet in the way he spoke and the way he performed. And the way people loved him. Everybody realised he was the greatest entertainer that ever lived. I’ll never forget one time I was at the Waldorf Astoria and I went to see him. Between shows, he was speaking to a very heavy man, for about 10 minutes. Finally, he left and I walked over and said, “Louis, who was that man?” He said, “Oh, I don’t know.” He was just talking to a customer, but he was so nice to him.

What do you sing in the shower? Ha ha! I sing for more soap! So I can become very clean.

What is your favourite Saturday night record? I like the way Ella Fitzgerald sings ballads, and any early record of Frank Sinatra. He sang so beautiful for 20 years, every record is a masterpiece.

And your Sunday morning record? I don’t really plan Sunday mornings. I listen to music all the time. I have a lot of favourites. Louis Armstrong, mostly.

Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 is on Columbia.