I Think That When The Education System

When I Auditioned For My High School Band The Band Director Was Excited Because My Father Was Known To Be A Great Musician. When He Heard Me, He Said 'are You Sure You're Ellis's Son?'

To Say That The Afro American Created Jazz Doesn't Mean Anything Bad About Anglo Americans, And I Always Teach My Younger Jazz Musicians That At This Point The Entirety Of The American Tradition Is Your Heritage, And You Need To Know It.

Jazz Music Is The Power Of Now.

We All Teach From That Same Frame Of Reference. We're Like Neighborhood - The People Who Have Had The Opportunity Through This Music To Gain A Platform And Spread The Message Of This Music, Which Is Basically Love In A Form Of Communication That's Honest And Truthful.

What Takes Its Place Is Very Dry Education. And The Tools That Actually Can Teach You - Singing And Playing, Learning How To Participate With Other People, Spiritual Richness - Are Replaced With A Big Emphasis On How To Memorize Things. That's Such An Incomplete Education. Survival Of The Fittest Used To Mean Being Bigger And Stronger.