Jazz is an idea that is more powerful than the details of its history.

The Unity Band project has been life-changing for me. I have led many groups of talented musicians, but this is unlike anything else.

Learning to play is mostly about learning to hear, and learning to really listen deeply to sound in a musical way is a lifetime's worth of work.

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

Jazz is an idea that is more powerful than the details of its history.

1962 to 1965, where suddenly the guitar became this icon of youth culture all over the world, thanks mostly to the Beatles. Add to that, that I saw A Hard Day's Night 12 or 13 times, and that the guitar was the one instrument that my parents absolutely refused to let in the house. So you add it up and see that irresistible forces led me to the guitar.

More and more as time has gone on, I realize that playing is really more about listening than it is about playing.