As much as I have done collaborations over the years, I am actually kind of a reluctant partner.

I think that the melodic piece of the puzzle in music is the most esoteric and difficult to quantify.

I saw A Hard Day's Night 12 or 13 times.

I met Gary (Burton) at the Wichita Jazz Festival when I was 18 -- he was one of my favorite musicians and I got to play a few tunes with him there. Shortly after that, I joined his band, which was the equivalent of joining the Beatles for me! He was, and still is, one of the greatest musicians I have ever been lucky enough to be around.

Jazz demands that you bring to it things that are valuable to you, that are personal to you.

If you plan on continuing a tradition, it might be a good idea to find out just what tradition it is that you intend to continue.

My first relationship to any kind of musical situation is as a listener.