Every morning you have a choice. Are you going to be a positive thinker or a negative thinker? Positive thinking will energize… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Connection to the music and the history was very powerful to me. I think that's what I feel the most blessed about. — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
If you are complaining you can't be thinking about or creating what you do want. — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I just think that I associated music with something that was healing and transformative as a kid. — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I think that's important to remember - That we're blessed to even be able to attempt to do this [music]. — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I think we had a Ben Webster/Gerry Mulligan record... that might have been it. We only had a few records in the… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
If you think your best days are behind you, they are. If you think your best days are ahead of you, they… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I saw a nice interview with Dave Binney recently. He was saying, "Man it was never easy. It's not like 'Oh wow,… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
One time, I think it was my third lesson third or fourth lesson. Kim Parker and he picked me up at the… — 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… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
We [with my mother] listened to music when I was a kid. We listened to a little bit of Bob's [Gordon] music,… — 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
I didn't have time to deal with practicing in a way that I would have liked to. I wish I could have… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
[Charlie "Bird" Parker] would sit down and ask [Phil Wood], "What do you think about this whole secondary Viennese school with Schoenberg,… — 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 think [Phil Wood] didn't suffer fools gladly, but he loved supporting young people that loved the music. — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
The first CD I had, that I think had had any redeeming qualities to it, I did when I was 25 with… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I think we're in a time and place, the last 20 plus years, and certainly now, it's only more so, where it's… — 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
[My mother] told me a little bit about the scene out there and I think, as a small child, I just always… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
Sometimes you think "Okay, well I'm going to play my horn, and I'm going to study Charlie "Bird" Parker solos or [John… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
We had been thrown out of a couple of places that we had lived in when I was a kid and all… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I got to talk to Mel Lewis a lot as a teenager. I think that's what really impacted me the most around… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I did, I was in Europe a lot. I would say, mid 20s to late 30s. Less so in the last ten… — Jon Gordon Copy Share Image
I think what frustrated me more than anything else in my formative years was that I just had to work. I had… — 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 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
![“I think that's important to remember - That we're blessed to even be able to attempt to do this [music].” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/29f/jon-gordon-1655_able_i-think-that-s-important-to-remember-tha_1307024.jpg)
![“One time, I think it was my third lesson third or fourth lesson. Kim Parker and he picked me up at the bus station. And she just said, "Phil [Wood] has been up all night. He's heartbroken. Bud Johnson died last night." And Bud Johnson, like Zoot [Sims] and Al [Cohn] had been mentors to him.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f59/jon-gordon-1655_all-night_one-time-i-think-it-was-my-third-lesson_948959.jpg)
![“We [with my mother] listened to music when I was a kid. We listened to a little bit of Bob's [Gordon] music, but just a little, I think it was too painful for her.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9dc/jon-gordon-1655_bits_we-with-my-mother-listened-to-music-when_1286460.jpg)
![“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/img-quotes/343/jon-gordon-1655_certain_i-feel-very-similarly-i-didn-t-have-nece_449847.jpg)
![“[Charlie "Bird" Parker] would sit down and ask [Phil Wood], "What do you think about this whole secondary Viennese school with Schoenberg, Berg and Webern? Are you listening to that music and what do you feel about it?" These were the conversations that he was having. And he also said, what he…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d1a/jon-gordon-1655_asks_charlie-bird-parker-would-sit-down-and-a_1110923.jpg)
![“I think [Phil Wood] didn't suffer fools gladly, but he loved supporting young people that loved the music.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/98f/jon-gordon-1655_fool_i-think-phil-wood-didn-t-suffer-fools-gl_2299258.jpg)
![“[My mother] told me a little bit about the scene out there and I think, as a small child, I just always felt a connection to that history because my mother had described it to me.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd4/jon-gordon-1655_bits_my-mother-told-me-a-little-bit-about-the_2939919.jpg)
![“Sometimes you think "Okay, well I'm going to play my horn, and I'm going to study Charlie "Bird" Parker solos or [John Coltrain] or whatever." But as [Phil Wood] said to me, "Man, Bird listened to everything."” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f4e/jon-gordon-1655_bird_sometimes-you-think-okay-well-i-m-going_2575076.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)