By the latter part of high school, by the middle of junior…
![“By the latter part of high school, by the middle of junior year in high school, Jay Rodriguez played me some Irakere records that that Paquito [D'Rivera] was on. And he also played me and our friend, Curtis Haywood, some Phil Woods records. And when I heard Phil, I just about lost my mind. I was…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/b89/jon-gordon-1655_80s_by-the-latter-part-of-high-school-by-the_2544684.jpg)
“By the latter part of high school, by the middle of junior year in high school, Jay Rodriguez played me some Irakere records that that Paquito [D'Rivera] was on. And he also played me and our friend, Curtis Haywood, some Phil Woods records. And when I heard Phil, I just about lost my mind. I was playing the Charlie Parker Omnibook as part of my lessons. This was the '80s. There was no YouTube and all that. And we had three or four jazz records at that point.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A teacher recalls how early exposure to complex jazz recordings sparked deep inspiration and challenged his learning path.
In simple terms: Early jazz exposure inspired intense passion.
Key Takeaway
Seek challenging music to grow.
Themes
inspiration
learning
music
mentorship
Mood
reflective
enthusiastic
Type
educational
personal
When to use this quote
- high school music class
- private lessons
- jam sessions
- self‑study
- record listening
Key Concepts
Jazz improvisation
cultural exchange
musical development
Questions to Reflect On
- How did those records change your practice?
- What barriers exist for music discovery today?
A Different Perspective
Limited access to recordings made discovery harder.