Charlie Parker is my greatest inspiration as a saxophone player - anything that involves him entails a large amount of respect.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
When I started studying tenor saxophone as a kid in Belfast, I did so with a guy named George Cassidy, who was also a big inspiration.
In my view a jazz musician is a great musician.
My primary influences were the best jazz players from the 50's and 60's and later some of the pop people from the same time period along with the better of the well known blues musicians.
When I began listening to saxophones, I was first attracted to Coleman Hawkins.
As far as other instrumentalists, I used to love mellow sax players like Paul Desmond. I love piano.
As a very small girl, I listened to Charlie Parker and loved him and Max Roach and people like that.
I find as much inspiration from the forerunners of jazz as I do the modern-day innovators of jazz.
My main influences have always been the classic jazz players who sang, like Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole and Jack Teagarden.
I loved Art Tatum! And, through him, and other different jazz musicians, I actually found my technique.
Working with Benny was important for me and for black musicians in general.