Jazz Isn't Dead Yet. It's The Underpinning

You Could Play Probably A Span Of 50 Years Of Me Playing St. Louis Blues, And Most Of The Time It Will Be Different Every Time.

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.

I Knew I Wanted To Write On Religious Themes When I Was A Gi In World War Ii. I Saw And Experienced So Much Violence That I Thought I Could Express My Outrage Best With Music.

I Don't Think You Can Separate A Person's "style" And His Persona. If You're Writing Or Improvising Honestly, You Will Inevitably Reflect Who You Are.

So Often People Will Say That I Converted To The Catholic Religion. This Is False. Although I Was Raised As A Protestant, I Was Never Baptized And Had Never Been A Member Of Any Church. I Joined The Roman Catholic Church After I Had Written My Mass To Hope!during The Night I Dreamt The Entire Lord's Prayer With Chorus And Orchestra. I Jumped Out Of Bed And Wrote Down What I Had Heard As Accurately As I Could Remember. Because Of This Event I Decided That I Might As Well Join The Catholic Church Because Someone Somewhere Was Pulling Me Toward That End.