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I would not describe myself as an avid jazz fan and I am not a jazz musician myself. However, that is not to say that jazz does not play a vital and important role in my life.

I'm thrilled when I hear the greatest jazz musicians. They continue to search in ways other musicians do not.

I'm not saying that in order to be a great jazz musician you have to be a great classical pianist first. But I am saying that it makes things easier when you can get around the instrument, and you have some idea of how to approach the various hurdles.

I really love jazz, but I will never be a jazz musician as much as I dream. But, I think that the jazz music I love is there in my music.

Jazz has been such a force in music, that any musician, including classical composers, have been influenced, and obviously performers, also.

Jazz music creates so many phenomenal figures.

Jazz is a hard music, and you have to really work hard and also have fun performing; that's the most important thing.

I've been around jazz and jazz musicians most of my life.

I wouldn't really say I'm a jazz guy, which I'm not.

I was brought up in a house with a lot of appreciation for music, all kinds of music, including jazz. But I never knew that it could really be a career. I didn't know any jazz singers. I never saw live jazz. I only heard these records.