Question and Answer

In the past ten or so years, you have become rather well known for a jazz musician. What effect has this notoriety had on you personally?

Not much really. I don't want much other than to play good. So far I haven't been able to figure out a way to turn whatever currency you gather in terms of notoriety into anything that has much tangible meaning to me as a player. I mean, if I'm more famous and I play a solo that really sucks, it still really sucks! All it means to me is that more people know I suck! (laughs) No really, I just try to keep my eye on the music. That's the only thing I've found so far that has a resonance for me in terms of the "truth" thing I was talking about before. I know a lot of people see music as a path to get somewhere else... to get famous, or to get some money, or to get somewhere other than where they are. For me, music has always been the end result. I live to get on the bandstand and play and to continue the investigation into sound and how to reconcile that with the things I've learned and have seen passing through life. Being a musician is a real honor and I feel so lucky that I've been able to spend my life in this way.