[Charles McPherson] was kind enough to go to a record gig of mine where we recorded a song of his. — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
[Manhattan School Of Music] were kind of just getting the jazz program up and going when I first started there. I was… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I would sit in at a jazz brunch [at sweet Basil] with Eddie Chamblee, who was a great tenor player. Really a… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Alan [Ferber] is a great trombonist and composer. I'm thankful that I got some associations like that through peers and former students.… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
When I heard Charlie Parker the first time on a record, it had seemed like an old, scratchy kind of record and… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
A guy like Scott [Robinson] plays the whole history of music on every instrument you've ever heard of. He's just kind of… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I wasn't expecting [the Monk competition] would necessarily do that. So I just did what I did and some good things continued… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Families that I lived with a little bit in junior high and quite a bit in high school and college. Just to… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I never got to play with Art [ Blakey], but he was kind and spoke to me a number of times. He… — 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
I feel very similarly. I didn't have necessarily the same exact kind of dynamic, but that means a lot when people are… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
A lot of musicians have said things to me like, "Music saved my life". And "I'm standing on the shoulders of dozens… — 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
[Charlie Parker] was kind of a sponge and intrigued by it all.That's similar to what Phil [Woods] told me about Bird, too.… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I remember [Joe] Lovano came around to me at that time [of Monk competition]. And I had taken some lessons with Joe… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
What I feel the most confident about as a teacher, whatever my strengths and weaknesses are. The fact that I got to… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
A man goes to the village to visit the wise man and he says to the wise man, “I feel like there… — 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
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
“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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
A true leader doesn't lead to gain power. They lead to empower and give power away. — Jon Gordon Copy Share
We had Bob's [Gordon] records, and he's on Clifford Brown's first record as a leader. I believe it was Clifford Brown's first record as… — Jon Gordon Copy Share
Another classical music teacher from Performing Arts that I've stayed in contact with is Jonathan Strasser. — Jon Gordon Copy Share
![“[Charles McPherson] was kind enough to go to a record gig of mine where we recorded a song of his.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21c/jon-gordon-1655_enough_charles-mcpherson-was-kind-enough-to-go_2291176.png)
![“[Manhattan School Of Music] were kind of just getting the jazz program up and going when I first started there. I was 17 in September of 1984 when I started there.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/jon-gordon-1655_firsts_manhattan-school-of-music-were-kind-of-j_2051074.png)
![“I would sit in at a jazz brunch [at sweet Basil] with Eddie Chamblee, who was a great tenor player. Really a kind man. The whole band was great.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc6/jon-gordon-1655_band_i-would-sit-in-at-a-jazz-brunch-at-sweet_1147668.png)
![“Alan [Ferber] is a great trombonist and composer. I'm thankful that I got some associations like that through peers and former students. That's kind of what it is.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/jon-gordon-1655_association_alan-ferber-is-a-great-trombonist-and-co_2090724.png)
![“A guy like Scott [Robinson] plays the whole history of music on every instrument you've ever heard of. He's just kind of an unparalleled genius.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/jon-gordon-1655_genius_a-guy-like-scott-robinson-plays-the-whol_915968.png)
![“I wasn't expecting [the Monk competition] would necessarily do that. So I just did what I did and some good things continued to happen and some doors continued to open and that kind of led me into the different associations that I developed in my 30s and some records that I've made on ArtistShare…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/685/jon-gordon-1655_association_i-wasn-t-expecting-the-monk-competition_885761.jpg)
![“I never got to play with Art [ Blakey], but he was kind and spoke to me a number of times. He said, "You know, the people who are working 40 hours a week. Those are the ones who are really paying dues. Sitting at a desk doing the same thing every day. We're really blessed to do what we do."” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/jon-gordon-1655_art_i-never-got-to-play-with-art-blakey-but_1156100.png)
![“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/i/844/jon-gordon-1655_cities_the-light-went-on-when-i-heard-phil-wood_443064.png)
![“I feel very similarly. I didn't have necessarily the same exact kind of dynamic, but that means a lot when people are like that with you. Especially people like that. And I think [Phil Wood] felt a certain responsibility .” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/343/jon-gordon-1655_certain_i-feel-very-similarly-i-didn-t-have-nece_449847.png)
![“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/i/72b/jon-gordon-1655_able_i-was-able-to-go-over-saxophone-competit_3208464.png)
![“[Charlie Parker] was kind of a sponge and intrigued by it all.That's similar to what Phil [Woods] told me about Bird, too. Like he was into cooking. He was just into a lot of things. Yeah, it's about dealing with bebop and jazz and Trane [John Coltrain] and post-Trane and knowing the history. But…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a35/jon-gordon-1655_art_charlie-parker-was-kind-of-a-sponge-and_2500883.png)
![“I remember [Joe] Lovano came around to me at that time [of Monk competition]. And I had taken some lessons with Joe and I had seen Joe on the scene. He had always been so great to me, such and inspiration and so kind. One lesson that I had with Joe was just amazing. I'm just such a fan and an…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/jon-gordon-1655_admirer_i-remember-joe-lovano-came-around-to-me_2231915.jpg)
