Album Notes

This CD is dedicated to the preservation of an endangered species: live recordings of traditional jazz quartets.

The combination of East (a New York-based rhythm section) and West (this California-born and -based woodwind player) is intended to show that jazz can no longer be categorized by the coast on which it originates. For better or worse, jazz is jazz.

The featured player -- me -- is a little undecided. As a kid, I heard Benny Goodman's records and loved the clarinet sound, from its mellow bottom to its strident top. I heard Hubert Laws, and loved the natural flowing quality of the flute. I listened to Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods and Stan Getz, and wanted to play the saxophone, the instrument on which I'm most comfortable improvising.

I learned by playing live and recording with some of the best. From Woody Herman, I learned how to make the same tune sound fresh every night. From Cal Tjader, I learned the intricacies of the quartet and quintet formats. Clare Fischer taught me how to improvise over and with more advanced harmonic chord structures. Poncho Sanchez was a great teacher of Latin rhythms and idioms. And from playing with the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Bob Florence and Bill Holman, I learned..... how to have a good time! Which is what I hope you'll have with East Meets West.

Thanks!