I was also sitting in from the middle of senior year of high school at Sweet Basil, it was a great club… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
The light went on when I heard Phil [woods] play, and I went like, "That is why I'm playing the instrument." So… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Barry Harris had a club called Jazz Cultural Theater and there were sessions there on a regular basis. I remember being there… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
A tenor player named Bud Revels there at the time. A lot of really nice associations amongst the students. Garry Dial was… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Earlier that year [1996], Ronnie Scott came to Visiones when I was playing with Maria and he hired me to come and… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
You're not going to have any pension or health care from those $60 nights at you name the club. But I think… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I got to talk to people like Mel [Lewis] and Milt Hilton and Benny Carter and Clark Terry and... Jay McShann. I… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I was able to go over [Saxophone Competition] and work a little more in Europe. I'm thankful that those of kinds of… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Joe Henderson, who I maybe, to me, if I had to pick one improviser in my life that I saw live that blew my… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Benny Carter came up to me and said to me, "You know, in the whole history of the alto, I think Phil is the… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
“know that I’m not a human being having a spiritual experience. I’m a spiritual being having a human experience.” — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
It's very unlikely you're a genius, but, if you're ready to work at it hard and you want to listen to music all the… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
The first jazz cruise that I was on was '91. I played with Maria Schneider and John Fedchock's band. Got to meet some amazing… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I just lucked into a lot of good people man. In my life and through friends, and in the music, that really embraced me… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Every morning you have a choice. Are you going to be a positive thinker or a negative thinker? Positive thinking will energize you. — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I was occasionally getting calls for some things. But I would say, 22 to 29 was a lot of scuffling. Hoping to get called… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
There are a lot of people that impacted me. I remember hearing Oscar Peterson live at the Blue Note, which was very expensive, but...… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
There's a lot of good people out here that want to help you grow and to help the music to continue to grow and… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Ernie Hayes, Jimmy Lewis, and either Belton Evans or Khalil Mahdi on drums [were in Sweet Basil]. All those guys really took care of… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
![“The light went on when I heard Phil [woods] play, and I went like, "That is why I'm playing the instrument." So I got very inspired, I started going to clubs through a friend's mom in the city, again, another person who just completely opened all these doors for me and it was amazing how kind she…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/844/jon-gordon-1655_cities_the-light-went-on-when-i-heard-phil-wood_443064.jpg)
![“Barry Harris had a club called Jazz Cultural Theater and there were sessions there on a regular basis. I remember being there and sitting in with [Charles] McPherson and Barry being there, and just smiling at me. He didn't talk to me much at the time, he just came up and gave me a smile, which…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/053/jon-gordon-1655_bases_barry-harris-had-a-club-called-jazz-cult_763311.jpg)
![“Earlier that year [1996], Ronnie Scott came to Visiones when I was playing with Maria and he hired me to come and play in his club in London, which I was gratified by. That allowed me to make some more connections.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/493/jon-gordon-1655_clubs_earlier-that-year-1996-ronnie-scott-came_2252458.jpg)
![“I got to talk to people like Mel [Lewis] and Milt Hilton and Benny Carter and Clark Terry and... Jay McShann. I just found myself in some circumstances, on some gigs or sometimes in clubs, with the ability to talk to some of these people. Just being around their energy and being around that…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/661/jon-gordon-1655_ability_i-got-to-talk-to-people-like-mel-lewis-a_3052492.jpg)
![“I was able to go over [Saxophone Competition] and work a little more in Europe. I'm thankful that those of kinds of things. Simultaneously, some nice things did come in. I got a nice festival that came in, in Virginia through that. There was a club that opened in DC in the famous Willard Hotel…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/72b/jon-gordon-1655_able_i-was-able-to-go-over-saxophone-competit_3208464.jpg)
![“Ernie Hayes, Jimmy Lewis, and either Belton Evans or Khalil Mahdi on drums [were in Sweet Basil]. All those guys really took care of me.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/400/jon-gordon-1655_basil_ernie-hayes-jimmy-lewis-and-either-belto_200776.jpg)