LP: "One night I was at the Waldorf-Astoria with Martin Block (a very famous disc jockey in NY), his wife and my wife, Mary.  We were invited up to Benny Goodman's dressing room, and Benny says, "What is this you've got going on that everybody's raving about?"  So Martin Block explains to Benny Goodman what I have done.  I was just sitting there listening to it. [laughs] Benny Goodman says, "I wouldn't be caught dead doing that!" [laughs] — which kind of took me back a step or two, and then I got to thinking about it — you know, Benny Goodman was right.  He was absolutely right.  Then Benny says "You just put a microphone over there, and we will balance ourselves to fit the situation."

LP: " I've heard Benny Goodman re-recorded, remixed, and I've taken it and just threw it away because it's terrible.  What they have done is taken the Benny Goodman arrangements, and they've mic'ed each guy individually, and the engineer sits there and says, I think this third trombone should be just a little louder, and this guy should be here, and this guy — you know, the recording technique is so different that it really loses the natural blend that the musicians have always supplied."  Les continues, "I can't help, but when I hear Count Basie live, I'm fascinated by the fact that I would sit in the car in the parking lot, not even go into the club where they were playing and was knocked out by what I was hearing.  They can't get that sound with all the microphones that they use when you sit in the room. Then you've got the big enemy of all enemies, and that's the guy sitting behind the reinforcement board".

GP: I can remember going with dad to Greenwood Lake, NY to hear Count Basie's band one night.  We parked the car and on the way in the band was playing.  I said to dad wow, they sound great, who is on guitar?  Dad answered Freddy Green.  I said what a great electric sound he has, and dad laughed and said it's acoustic.  Later when dad was talking with the band, I went up to see Freedy's guitar which was indeed acoustic.  When we were leaving, I asked dad how does Freddy's guitar cut through the band like that being just acoustic?  He looked at me and said THE ARRANGEMENT.  When he needs to be heard the band lays back. Dad knew the magic came from the musicians and was concerned about how the new technology gave the audio engineer such a tremendous responsibility.