Every drummer that had a name, had a name because of his individual playing. He didn't sound like anybody else, So everybody that I ever listened to, in some form, influenced my taste.

I mean, I think I liked every band I ever played in because each band was different, each band had a different concept, and each band leader was different... different personalities and musical tastes.

If you can play, you can play anything. I don't like classifications.

There were so many individual styles thirty or forty years ago.

I can't sit down long enough to absorb any kind of learning.

And, well of course, Count Basie, and I think all of the black bands of the late thirties and early forties, bands with real players. They had an influence on everybody, not just drummers.

But primarily, the drummer's supposed to sit back there and swing the band.