When [Billy] Strayhorn came on the scene, he just blew us away.

Now, the instrumentation in the jazz band and the jazz dance band has gone through many evolutions. For instance, in the 'twenties the tradition was two or three saxophones

It's true I've always been attracted to the jazz band in an orchestral way, rather than a band way.

This life of being a transient human being has gotten to a point when it's very hard to bear

I like what I hear other guys doing, but the thing that really attracts me is melodic playing.

Then, of course, I played alto and tenor, wherever there were jobs.

What I came back to is that jazz is a music to be played and not to be intellectualized on.