Jazz Stands For Freedom.

What I Want To Happen Is To Be Really Creative, And To Play Something New In The Improvisations, Every Time.

Jazz Stands For Freedom.

There Are A Lot Of People On The Lowest Rung Of Jacob's Ladder, And We Must Somehow Reach Down, Give Them A Hand, And Make Them Want To Climb. A Little Really Good Music Never Hurt Anyone. And When People Are Given Good Music They Can Grow Spiritually And Even Discover They Like It.

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.

After The Second World War, I Returned To California To Study Composition With Darius Milhaud, Who Wrote Wonderful Works Like 'le Boeuf Sur Le Toit' And 'la Cretion Du Monde.' I Especially Enjoy His Work For Two Pianos, 'scaramouche.