It’s like looking at the Dead Sea Scrolls when you look at the paper with Thad Jones hand.
You can create a lot of great opportunities for yourself as a musician if you just make stuff.
Any profession where the supply is much greater than the demand, you have to have tremendous persistence and desire to be really great.
In the old days, we'd have copying parties. . . you copy violin 1, you copy violin 2.
As much as I love Thad Jones, he did everything right except leaving the band in a healthy way.
There are times when you are a trombone player and there are other times when you are the trombonist.
The kind of dirt and dust that’s created from polishing things is not conducive to a good marriage.
If it weren’t for trumpet players, I’d be flipping burgers someplace.
Just being in New York and playing music is successful.
That was the night Woody started calling me Too Tall John. Someone said if he makes up a nickname for you . . . it means you’re on the band!
The personnel manager turned his computer screen around and it said Riccardo Muti is named new music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I sat down and cried like a baby.
