In the midst of creating, a person is raised to another level of consciousness.

The whole underlying theme for the new music... is to communicate honest, human values, and in doing that to try to improve the quality of life.

As long as there are musicians who have a passion for spontaneity, for creating something thats never been before, the art form of jazz will flourish.

I just see myself as a human being that's concerned about life.

I just try to play music from my heart and bring as much beauty as I can to as many people as I can. Just give them other alternatives, especially people who arent exposed to creative music.

I just sit down at the piano and rattle it off.

I always told the people at Cal Arts that if they wanted me to do Jazz studies, first of all, there couldn't be a big band within 500 miles and that I could do what I wanted to do. And they said I could.