Living composers writing for big band are very few and far between. There are not a lot of them, and I have a talent for doing it. I am zeroing in on what I do best.

There are times when what's happening in rock is the best music in the world, and there are times when there is nothing worthwhile at all.

One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and 'Ad Infinitum'.

It would be really hard to get serious about anything political today unless it was a joke.

I still prefer the bebop of the '40s. The very stuff I started out with is still the best to me. I have come full circle.

I like chords that are very lush with all the lush parts taken out.

Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker seemed so sophisticated and bad. I wanted to be like that.