MJF's Interview with
MARK WHITFIELD
Artists Who Influenced
George Benson
“As my career has progressed, I’ve had the pleasure of playing with the baddest jazz cats on the planet. But that doesn’t change my desire to entertain folks. That’s really who I am.” - George Benson
Joe Pass
"If you hit a wrong note, then make it right by what you play afterwards." - Joe Pass
Charlie Parker
"Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art." - Charlie Parker
Bud Powell
"He was a very dynamic person on the instrument, and I liked that, the way he approached it, you know. I was inspired a lot by Bud." - McCoy Tyner
Ray Brown
"Well, jazz is to me, a complete lifestyle. It's bigger than a word. It's a much bigger force than just something that you can say. It's something that you have to feel. It's something that you have to live." - Ray Brown
Wes Montgomery
“It's impossible for me to feel like there's only one way to do a thing. There's nothing wrong with having one way of doing it, but I think it's a bad habit. I believe in range. Like, there's a lot of tunes that I play all the time-sometimes I hear 'em in a different register. And if you don't have complete freedom, or you won't let yourself get away from that one straight line, oh, my goodness, that's too horrible to even think about.” - Wes Montgomery
Kenny Burrell
“I strive for honesty in playing what I feel.” - Kenny Burrell
Duke Ellington
"You've got to find some way of saying it without saying it." - Duke Ellington
Recommended Recordings
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