I'm now a legend, whether I want to be or not.

Europeans really provided many venues over there and hailed the jazz artists, and a lot of musicians went over there and stayed over there for a long time. A lot of them moved over there, lived over there, and died over there.

I think the problem starts with the general appreciation of the music in the larger society.

I feel that Jazz improvisation is the ultimate. You have to create on the spot, the essence of this music.

I feel that I have an obligation to jazz and also to myself to play as good as I can play.

Improvisation is the ability to create something very spiritual, something of one's own.

I have seen great jazz musicians die obscure and drinking themselves to death and not really being able to get any work and working in small, funky jazz clubs.