Benny Carter came up to me and said to me, "You know, in the whole history of the alto, I think Phil… — 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
There are great jazz educators that I meet all the time. I met a guy named Paul Luchessi who has a high… — 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
Phil [Wood] said to me in the car going back, he said, "Look man, you better know why you're playing this music.… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
[Phil wood] put on some [Igor] Stravinsky and say to follow the score, tell me to play me the opening to the… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
When I was 13, 14, 15, I had played in a couple of jazz ensembles. I didn't know anything about harmony, about… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I don't know that there was a moment, like one specific moment where I was like "Ugh. Now what do I do?"… — 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
[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 heard these stories [about musicians from my mother] and somehow music, it was my understanding what my father had done. I… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Did you know you can take your bus anywhere you want to go? Say yes three times with me. Yes, yes, yes.… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
We were poor [with my mother], and we didn't have too much. So we sat on the floor and we had a… — 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
![“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)
![“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/img-quotes/8e3/jon-gordon-1655_art_i-never-got-to-play-with-art-blakey-but_1156100.jpg)
![“Phil [Wood] said to me in the car going back, he said, "Look man, you better know why you're playing this music. Because I've known too many who lived and died for it. And if you're not trying to change the world, I'm not interested."” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/815/jon-gordon-1655_car_phil-wood-said-to-me-in-the-car-going-ba_1411056.jpg)
![“[Phil wood] put on some [Igor] Stravinsky and say to follow the score, tell me to play me the opening to the Rite of Spring. Or, "I'm going to play you some 20th century obscure classical composer you don't know". Or, "Let's listen to some Charles Ives, let's sight read some Bartok violin duets"…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ee1/jon-gordon-1655_20th-century_phil-wood-put-on-some-igor-stravinsky-an_1463042.jpg)
![“When I was 13, 14, 15, I had played in a couple of jazz ensembles. I didn't know anything about harmony, about II-V-I, though I had learned my scales with Caesar [DiMauro].” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7d4/jon-gordon-1655_couple_when-i-was-13-14-15-i-had-played-in-a-co_2097195.jpg)
![“[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/img-quotes/a35/jon-gordon-1655_art_charlie-parker-was-kind-of-a-sponge-and_2500883.jpg)
![“I heard these stories [about musicians from my mother] and somehow music, it was my understanding what my father had done. I didn't know it was misinformation. It sort of inwardly in my psyche laid the template for music being affiliated with my father and my family.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/jon-gordon-1655_done_i-heard-these-stories-about-musicians-fr_2640766.jpg)
![“We were poor [with my mother], and we didn't have too much. So we sat on the floor and we had a record player, and that's all we had in that room in the apartment. But we had whatever we had. Six records and a record player and it seemed like magic. Seven or eight years old, you know.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e74/jon-gordon-1655_apartment_we-were-poor-with-my-mother-and-we-didn_3229414.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)