I Prefer No One To Teach Me.

I Wasn't Allowed To Play In Some Universities In The United States And Out Of Twenty-five Concerts, Twenty-three Were Canceled Unless I Would Substitute My Black Bass Player For My Old White Bass Player, Which I Wouldn't Do.

I Was Always Very Aware Of Drummers. My Oldest Brother Henry Was A Drummer, And He Drummed On Everything In The House From The Kitchen Sink To Stovepipes. He Was The First Drummer In The Gil Evans Orchestra, So You've Got To Know How Great He Was.

If I Told You All The People That Have Secretly Told Me I've Influenced Them, You'd Never Believe It, And You'll Never See It In Print, Either.

The Reality For Me Is Simple. When Music Is Written, It Is Usually Categorized As Classical. When It Is Improvised, It Can Still Be Called Classical If It Is An Inspired Improvisation. In Either Category, It Is Still Music, And It Can Be Good Or Bad Or Simply Mediocre.

The Use Of Rock, Folk, Or Pop Music Serves A Purpose. It Gets People Into The Church. But An Inexperienced Guitar Player Who Doesn't Have Much To Say, For Example, Can Make Me Wish To Leave The Church Immediately, Whereas One Great Jazz Or Classical Guitarist Can Confirm That I Will Have A Spiritual Experience In The Church.