“Proper right here is Clayton Cameron on the drums … he’s gonna present you the way [to swing]…”
That was Tony Bennett, the legendary performer who died on the age of 96 on Friday (July 21), throughout his 1994 MTV Unplugged efficiency of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Imply a Factor (If It Ain’t Bought That Swing).” The person he was introducing, Clayton Cameron, had solely been enjoying drums in his band for a pair years — after practically a decade spent backing iconic Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. — and Bennett was cuing him on the largest highlight second of his profession to that time: a virtually two-minute drum solo in the midst of the tune.
The showcase included a change from sticks to brushes, and a transfer from a sitting drum set to a standing solo drum, with Cameron steadily flipping between the 2 ends of every brush whereas enjoying — all with circus performer-like dexterity and fluidity. Every member of the Ralph Sharon Trio backing Bennett that night time was given particular person moments to shine, however none was fairly as show-stopping (in each senses) as Cameron’s jaw-dropping “Swing” show, lighting up the particular’s penultimate efficiency with out disrupting the casual-hang vibe that the 4 performers had labored laborious to ascertain to that time.
The Unplugged particular was an instantaneous success, as a part of Bennett’s profitable mid-’90s rebranding as an artist accessible to the MTV era, and its accompanying soundtrack would go on to be licensed platinum by the RIAA and win two awards, together with album of the 12 months, on the 1995 Grammys. (MTV re-ran the particular, together with its 2021 sequel alongside Woman Gaga, after Bennett’s passing on July 21.) Its recognition additionally introduced newfound publicity to Cameron, then in his mid-30s.
“I used to be residing in New York on the time, and I knew that one thing was up after I was crossing the road — I feel like Sixth Avenue or one thing — and this fireman was yelling at me,” he remembers. “I spotted he was saying my identify, after which I spotted he was a Tony Bennett fan. And he had seen me on [MTV] … that was one thing very very totally different for me, very new.”
Cameron would in the end drum with Bennett for a complete of 13 years and 13 albums — the longest inventive partnership for Cameron in a profession that additionally included work alongside such icons as Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey and James Taylor, and even a one-off gig conducting the UCLA Bruins Marching Band and enjoying drums on BTS’ 2020 hit single “On.” (“It gave me credibility with my daughter and her mates,” Cameron laughs in regards to the final one.) He presently works as a unbroken lecturer at UCLA, does sideman gigs and performs along with his personal band The Du U Challenge, and remembers his time working with Bennett and his orbit of collaborators as “very particular.”
“I loved being within the studio with him a lot,” he says. “He simply at all times actually knew what he needed, and easy methods to do it. After which simply following him, he was simply … I needed to hold reminding myself, ‘OK, you’re part of this – you’re not a bystander. You’re with Tony Bennett.’”
Beneath, Cameron reminisces to Billboard about his time with the late Bennett, his recollections of working with him on the traditional Unplugged particular, and the way tennis helped carry the 2 collectively each years earlier than they ever correctly collaborated and for a few years after. (The dialog has been edited and condensed for readability.)
Are you able to inform me a bit bit about your early profession, and the trail that took you to working with Tony?
I used to be born and raised right here in Los Angeles, California, and I grew up enjoying behind a few of the native folks like Ernie Andrews and Teddy Edwards. And I ended up enjoying for Gerald Wilson’s band, which included folks like Ernie Watts and Jerome Richardson, Gerald Wiggins, Oscar Brashear, who just lately handed. These have been all nice jazz musicians who have been in L.A. And so enjoying with Gerald would really lead me afterward to enjoying with Sammy Davis Jr., after I graduated from faculty.
I used to be Sammy’s final drummer, from ‘82 till he handed away in 1990. And through that interval, I’d do the Rat Pack Tour with Sinatra and Dean [Martin] and Sammy. And afterward, Dean would drop out and Liza Minnelli would come on. Sammy handed away in 1990, and so I did a number of issues round L.A., after which I simply moved to New York. So after I obtained to New York, I used to be enjoying with loads of nice folks – enjoying with the Mingus band, doing a little stuff with Barry Harris, and I even labored with Kenny Burrell whereas I used to be there.
And so I used to be actually blissful, simply kinda being on the scene. Then I obtained a name, saying that Tony was on the lookout for a drummer and that I had been really useful. They stated, “Why don’t you give it a attempt to we’ll see if Tony likes what you’re doing and also you just like the gig?” And so I began April 1 of 1992, with Tony.
So we’re on a aircraft going to… up north, simply previous the Bay Space. Tony and I have been speaking on the aircraft, and I reminded him that we had met again within the ‘80s on the tennis courtroom, in Atlantic Metropolis. Tony,’s youngest daughter was taking a tennis lesson — she will need to have been 10 years outdated, or one thing like that. There was just one tennis membership in Atlantic Metropolis, and so the professional there knew me. And he stated, “Hey, are you able to hit with Tony Bennett whereas his daughter takes a lesson?” And so Tony and I hit some tennis balls. And it was enjoyable, it was kinda cool.
So I reminded him of it whereas we’re on the aircraft, and he says, “Oh, OK.” We get off the aircraft — as an alternative of going to the gig, he takes me to the San Francisco Tennis Membership. And that was the very first thing I did with Tony as soon as I obtained employed. I kinda grew to become the tennis valet after that.
Did you get to see a lot of his recreation? How was he as a tennis participant?
He might maintain his personal. I suppose we’d name him perhaps like a 3.0 participant in tennis phrases. Which implies – all of the tennis gamers on the market will know – you have got perhaps one shot that you might actually do properly, and also you needed to work on the opposite ones. However he had a great forehand. So it was loads of enjoyable. For lots of years we’d play collectively, earlier than he stopped enjoying.
Have been you already versed in his catalogue earlier than performing with him? What sort of stage of data did you have got in his stuff?
Oh properly actually, the Invoice Evans stuff I knew rather well. And I knew his couple of hits that he had after I was rising up. So I used to be conscious of him, I simply hadn’t heard rather a lot about him in recent times — y’know, ‘80s into the ‘90s. And in order that’s why it was form of a shock to me after I obtained the decision. Regardless that I’d seen him in Atlantic Metropolis, that type of factor. It was the identical factor kinda with Sammy Davis, Jr., after I joined him — he wasn’t recording, however he was doing loads of gigs and stuff. However he wasn’t essentially doing loads of tv, issues like that.
Was the model that he needed you to play for him one thing that you simply have been snug with? Did he push you into new territories, or did he need you in your pocket?
There wasn’t actually a lot dialogue on what to do. We simply did it. There was by no means actually a lot dialogue, simply swinging and grooving. The large factor with Tony is his dynamics – I discovered rather a lot in that sense. Particularly within the studio, simply actually having the ability to play with that quiet depth — in order that he didn’t should compromise what he needed to do.
Possibly one time, he gave me one actual directive. And that was, we have been within the studio, and I feel we have been recording – it will need to have been a ballad, I can’t keep in mind the tune. Tony was not in a sales space, we have been just about all in the identical room more often than not. And in order that approach, he would actually get a really feel of the band. And so one take was one take — in the event you did it once more, all people did it once more.
So I keep in mind one time, we have been enjoying, and so Tony says, “Hey Clayton, the brushes are too loud.” I stated, “Oh, OK, no drawback.” And so I adjusted, and I did one thing that I had by no means achieved earlier than. Normally whenever you’re enjoying brushes, you kinda have these broad strokes. And so I made the strokes very minuscule. However you’re within the studio, so the mic is selecting it up. After we completed the monitor, Tony came to visit and he thanked me – he stated, “Thanks Clayton, I needed to whisper the lyric.” I stated “Oh wow, it makes a lot sense.”
What do you know about MTV Unplugged as a sequence earlier than doing it? Did you have got a imaginative and prescient about how Tony’s set would translate to it?
Properly, I used to be conscious of it. MTV Unplugged was pretty new. And we had achieved the file Steppin’ Out [in 1993], after which Danny Bennett, Tony’s son and supervisor, stated, “Hey, we’re gonna do that MTV factor, Unplugged, and it could turn into a file.” In order that was it. We simply went on and we did our present – there was no directives or something, we simply performed. And I feel that’s the way it comes off — the place we’re simply having a great time and simply doing a live performance.
So the present that you simply guys performed on Unplugged – was that pretty commonplace by way of each the setlist and the preparations that you simply usually would have performed at a present round that point interval? Or did you must rehearse it otherwise?
No, there was no rehearsal. I imply, I used to be nonetheless pretty new within the band, and so issues have been growing. And that’s why it’s kinda good for me to look again on it, as a result of it was nonetheless early within the strategy of me enjoying with Tony. So the truth that he would function me with a drum solo, I believed was simply fairly beneficiant. It actually advised me that, right here was a man that simply actually knew what he needed, and was very safe in what he was doing — to permit me to go off and do a drum solo and are available again.
Is that one thing that he would steadily do at live shows? As a result of over the course of the particular, he actually offers all three of you a reasonably particular time to shine individually.
Yeah, completely. It was – I did that for 13 years. Get featured, and all of that.
I’ve heard tales in regards to the Unplugged tapings that typically they drag on for seven-eight hours, and all people’s exhausted by the top, you find yourself doing these retakes and retakes. Was it like that for you guys, or was it extra get in-get out, you do your set and transfer on?
Oh yeah, the latter. Yeah, I’m shocked to listen to that folks have been doing all these takes. It’s important to understand that — folks of Tony’s period, of Sammy Davis’ period, Frank Sinatra’s period — they know easy methods to carry out. It’s not like, you gotta inform them what to do. They know easy methods to carry out. All these guys had a minimum of 10,000 hours on the street, in the event you’re gonna do the Gladwell, 10,000-hours-makes-you-a-pro kinda factor. These guys had 100,000 hours doing reveals.
So it’s not like you must inform them. After which in the event you’ve obtained a great band, you don’t have to inform them both! What tunes are we gonna do? After which do it. You don’t should rehearse a bunch of tunes. For those who’ve obtained consummate musicians, and also you’ve obtained a consummate performer like Tony Bennett or Sammy? Man, they may do 10 reveals with out rehearsing.
Did the Unplugged change your profession in any respect? There’s such a concentrate on you, and Tony says your identify again and again – have been you getting extra gig requests? Have been folks asking you to do the factor with the brushes on their album or their stage?
Yeah, that really did occur. I actually obtained loads of consideration due to Tony. I didn’t have time to do rather a lot, although, as a result of in the course of the time with him, we have been so busy… everybody from Sting, James Taylor have been reaching out to me, simply these totally different folks, perhaps little issues right here and there. However I didn’t have time. As a result of we have been on the street like 200 days a 12 months. I imply, doing the tv and live shows and all of that. However I did do some issues, yeah.
Did you have got any moments from the particular that stick out to you as notably memorable?
What I keep in mind most is… what I discovered about Tony at that live performance is simply how gracious he was. He simply did his factor and didn’t blink. Tony simply did his present. There wasn’t something totally different than what we’d ordinarily do. However I inform you – watching him, after I look again on it, it was like he had achieved it the primary time. Like every thing was contemporary. Regardless that we had achieved like 20,000 reveals or no matter. It was nonetheless contemporary! There was not any, like, “Oh, I gotta do that once more…”
And he would inform you that, too. “You’re sinning in opposition to your skills” is likely one of the issues he used to say. For those who’re gonna not present up, y’know. “You’re sinning in opposition to your skills.”
You talked about Danny Bennett taking him in that MTV-oriented course over the course of the ‘90s. Was that one thing that you simply have been stunned by – that he was in a position to join with the youthful audiences the best way that he was? What was it about him that allowed him to achieve audiences that have been, at that time, virtually two generations his junior?
Properly one, the music was good. And Tony was charismatic, interval. And so after we have been doing loads of these – like, going between Smashing Pumpkins and all these totally different teams – after we play, we gonna swing, and we gonna groove, and it doesn’t actually matter whether or not you’re a grunge or this or that. The groove is there. After which Tony comes out, and he’s doing his factor? I imply, come on… it’s infectious.
However the factor about what Danny and Tony did, is that they took Tony’s factor into these younger folks’s arenas. They didn’t should go to Carnegie Corridor to see Tony. Naw, Tony went to them and stated, “Hey, examine this out!” And so it was wonderful. It actually was. I don’t know if anybody might’ve actually predicted how a lot of an impact it actually would have.
Did you go to the Grammys when he was nominated?
[Laughs.] Oh man, yeah. I used to be there. It was in L.A. I imply, we weren’t actually anticipating – I wasn’t actually anticipating — that it was gonna win. I’m simply kinda lounging up in Tony’s dressing room on the Grammys, backstage. After which they are saying, “Tony Bennett!” And I used to be like, “Whoa!” I imply, it was mind-boggling.
However I’m so blissful that Tony received. As a result of that was historic, actually. It actually created an entire ‘nother vitality for Tony himself. And he simply rode the wave, however he didn’t have to vary something. He didn’t do something otherwise, different to be himself, which was nice.
Did you keep in contact with Tony over time, after you stopped touring and recording with him?
Oh yeah. We talked — normally when the U.S. Open was on, or Wimbledon, I’d get a name, or I’d name him. “Did you see Federer?” “Did you see Agassi?” That type of factor. So we completely stayed in touch.
There have been some fairly wonderful remembrances of Tony since his passing – simply what an unbelievable life he lived, and what a terrific individual he was. However is there something about Tony that you simply suppose will get underappreciated, both as a performer or a person?
There’s a pair issues. We did a session one time for 2001’s Playin’ With My Buddies – it was the blues file – and we have been ready for Stevie Marvel to return in to do a duet. I feel it was “On a regular basis (I Have the Blues).” And so Stevie is available in, and instantly says, “You understand, Tony, I need to thanks for marching within the Civil Rights Motion.” And I feel that’s one of many massive issues — Tony was a humanist, he was a pacifist, by way of warfare. As a result of he was a veteran as properly.
And the very last thing I need to say is, I keep in mind being at South by Southwest, and he was giving a bit speak. And he was in tears, simply telling the youngsters on easy methods to hone your craft, and easy methods to be true to your self. And so he was very, very within the welfare of different folks, and the welfare of younger folks.