Tomorrow Is In The Wings Waiting For

There Are Simply Two Kinds Of Music, Good Music And The Other Kind ... The Only Yardstick By Which The Result Should Be Judged Is Simply That Of How It Sounds. If It Sounds Good It's Successful; If It Doesn't It Has Failed.

In Music, As You Develop A Theme Or Musical Idea, There Are Many Points At Which Directions Must Be Decided, And At Any Time I Was In The Throes Of Debate With Myself, Harmonically Or Melodically, I Would Turn To Billy Strayhorn. We Would Talk, And Then The Whole World Would Come Into Focus. The Steady Hand Of His Good Judgment Pointed To The Clear Way That Was Fitting For Us. He Was Not, As He Was Often Referred To By Many, My Alter Ego. Billy Strayhorn Was My Right Arm, My Left Arm, All The Eyes In The Back Of My Head, My Brainwaves In His Head, And His In Mine.

I'm Sure Critics Have Their Purpose, And They're Supposed To Do What They Do, But Sometimes They Get A Little Carried Away With What They Think Someone Should Have Done, Rather Than Concerning Themselves With What He Did.

By And Large, Jazz Has Always Been Like The Kind Of A Man You Wouldn't Want Your Daughter To Associate With.

If It Sounds Good And Feels Good, Then It Is Good!