I Prefer No One To

Jazz Is About Freedom Within Discipline. Usually A Dictatorship Like In Russia And Germany Will Prevent Jazz From Being Played Because It Just Seemed To Represent Freedom, Democracy And The United States.

Over The Years I've Had Strong Friendships With Many Priests. As A Matter Of Fact, A Group Of Christian Leaders From The National Council Of Churches Came To My House In The 1950s To Ask Me To Write Music For A Mass. I Didn't Think I Was Ready At That Time. So, In A Sense, I Guess Joining The Church And Writing The Mass Was A Culmination Of A Long Journey That Is Still Going On.

Many People Don't Understand How Disciplined You Have To Be To Play Jazz... And That Is Really The Idea Of Democracy - Freedom Within The Constitution Or Discipline. You Don't Just Get Out There And Do Anything You Want.

The Source Of Inspiration Can Be Any Of The Things:deep Emotional Experiences - Say, Romantic Love Or Spiritual Contemplation.i Think Such Rare Moments Come Only When You Have Total Concentration. You Are Consumed In And By The Music. I Guess You Could Say That It Is Akin To Contemplation. In Order To Reach This Desirable State Of Mind You Have To Rise Above The Environment You're In At That Particular Time - A Bad Piano, Glaring Stage Lights, Or The Attitude Of The Audience. Sometimes The Inspiration Of The Other Musicians You're Playing With Helps You Reach This Stage.

Art May Not Have The Power To Change The Course Of History, But It Can Provide A Perspective On Historical Events That Needs To Be Heard, Even If It's Seldom Heeded. After All The Temporary Influences That Once Directed The Course Of History Have Vanished, Great Art Survives And Continues To Speak To Each Generation.