A Musical Profit Outweighs A Financial Loss.

Put It This Way: Jazz Is A Good Barometer Of Freedom... In Its Beginnings, The United States Of America Spawned Certain Ideals Of Freedom And Independence Through Which, Eventually, Jazz Was Evolved, And The Music Is So Free That Many People Say It Is The Only Unhampered, Unhindered Expression Of Complete Freedom Yet Produced In This Country.

Yet, Every Time God's Children Have Thrown Away Fear In Pursuit Of Honesty-trying To Communicate Themselves, Understood Or Not, Miracles Have Happened.

In Music, As You Develop A Theme Or Musical Idea, There Are Many Points At Which Directions Must Be Decided, And At Any Time I Was In The Throes Of Debate With Myself, Harmonically Or Melodically, I Would Turn To Billy Strayhorn. We Would Talk, And Then The Whole World Would Come Into Focus. The Steady Hand Of His Good Judgment Pointed To The Clear Way That Was Fitting For Us. He Was Not, As He Was Often Referred To By Many, My Alter Ego. Billy Strayhorn Was My Right Arm, My Left Arm, All The Eyes In The Back Of My Head, My Brainwaves In His Head, And His In Mine.

There Are 2 Rules In Life: Number 1- Never Quit Number2- Never Forget Rule Number 1.

Roaming Through The Jungle Of "ohs" And "ahs", Searching For A More Agreeable Noise, I Live A Life Of Primitivity With The Mind Of A Child And An Unquenchable Thirst For Sharps And Flats.