Because the blues is the basis of most American music in the 20th century. It's a 12-bar form that's played by jazz, bluegrass and country musicians. It has a rhythmic vocabulary that's been used by rock n' roll. It's related to spirituals, and even the American fiddle tradition.

Trumpet players see each other, and it's like we're getting ready to square off or get into a fight or something.

Only a few act - the rest of us reap the benefits of their risk.

Everything comes out in blues music: joy , pain , struggle . Blues is affirmation with absolute elegance.

The blues. It runs through all American music. Somebody bending the note. The other is the two-beat groove. It's in New Orleans music, it's in jazz, it's in country music, it's in gospel.

My mother always took my brothers and me to music lessons. There were six children. Our parents attended our concerts and encouraged us to study and enjoy many different types of music.

When I first came to New York everybody on the scene would treat me like I could play but I couldn't.