You know, face painting in non-Western cultures is a sign of collectivism, is a sign of one representing the community, it's not unique at all.

People call to keep me abreast of what's going on.

So okay, I accepted, and I realized while working for that concert that I'd been missing something very important and vital to me, and that something was music.

It took me a long time to reach the decision to retire, actually, from the Art Ensemble.

It took me a long time to reach the decision to retire, actually, from the Art Ensemble. But it seemed more important to me to share the vitality of Aikido and the vitality of Zen training with people, even though it would be a smaller number of people, it seemed to give them something that could last and improve their lives.

Lotta people don't realize when you grow up with people, you have an affinity, a relationship you don't get with anyone else. After you're twenty years old, anyone you meet after that, it's different from the people you knew before.

Well, actually, I don't consider myself a jazz legend or anything.