My life is a gift not an obligation and I Get To make the most of it. Jon Gordon More Quotes by Jon Gordon More Quotes From Jon Gordon When we hear music that we love that changes the world for us, we might as well at least aspire to something like that and aim high. You're probably not going to get beyond your dreams. So you might as well make them big. Jon Gordon dream might world Phil [Wood] was very passionate. Very committed. He felt very blessed that the people that cared about him and took him aside... if he was out of line or drinking too much, being too surly. Jon Gordon blessed drinking people There's a famous story about Dizzy [Gillespie] and Art Blakey taking him aside, and spending a whole night-long talk with [Phil Wood], "Man we believe in you. You can play. So don't be walking around with a frown on your face or whatever, getting yourself into trouble. You have got a gift, and nobody is going to take that away from you." So that meant the world to him. Jon Gordon night believe art I feel very similarly. I didn't have necessarily the same exact kind of dynamic, but that means a lot when people are like that with you. Especially people like that. And I think [Phil Wood] felt a certain responsibility . Jon Gordon responsibility mean thinking Benny Carter came up to me and said to me, "You know, in the whole history of the alto, I think Phil is the guy we should all be emulating." The king! So look, I'm so blessed that my first hero took me in. Jon Gordon kings blessed hero We spent all day together [with Phil Wood] at that one particular lesson, which was maybe the third or fourth lesson, in from 11:00 in the morning to 11:00 at night. We often did a lot of varied things. It wasn't just about jazz language and the saxophone. Jon Gordon together morning night [Phil wood] put on some [Igor] Stravinsky and say to follow the score, tell me to play me the opening to the Rite of Spring. Or, "I'm going to play you some 20th century obscure classical composer you don't know". Or, "Let's listen to some Charles Ives, let's sight read some Bartok violin duets", etc. Jon Gordon sight play spring I got to talk to people like Mel [Lewis] and Milt Hilton and Benny Carter and Clark Terry and... Jay McShann. I just found myself in some circumstances, on some gigs or sometimes in clubs, with the ability to talk to some of these people. Just being around their energy and being around that history was invaluable. And what I normally say to young people that are getting into the music, if you can and go... now there's less of those folks around, sadly. Jon Gordon gigs clubs people Sometimes you think "Okay, well I'm going to play my horn, and I'm going to study Charlie "Bird" Parker solos or [John Coltrain] or whatever." But as [Phil Wood] said to me, "Man, Bird listened to everything." Jon Gordon play men thinking Bill Charlap and I recorded a tune that Jack [Montrose] wrote and had brought to a date with Bob that was untitled. Bob [Gordon] really loved it and asked if he would mind if they dedicated it to Sue and call it "For Sue." Jon Gordon bob tunes mind Bob [Gordon] died young tragically. Jon Gordon died bob young We still talk about [school band]. Almost 40 years later. It's like people are talking about, "Man we need to have a morning band reunion". Jon Gordon morning men school I learned some classical music history, which I had done quite a bit at of Performing Arts. But I got some more with a great teacher named David Noon, who I've been in contact with quite a bit in recent years. Jon Gordon teacher years art [My mother] told me a little bit about the scene out there and I think, as a small child, I just always felt a connection to that history because my mother had described it to me. Jon Gordon mother children thinking My mother was a singer, and I never heard her sing a note in my life. Jon Gordon notes singers mother Aesthetically, I love the whole history of the music. Jon Gordon whole I was [ on Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition] with Ralph Bowen, and Joel Frahm, Jimmy Greene, John Ellis. You can't play the saxophone better than any of those guys play. So many of those things that those guys could do I wish I could do now, let alone then. Jon Gordon competition guy play I love to see people recognized [me on scene]. Jon Gordon scene people I did do an off-Broadway show for about 15 months. '91 and '92. It was nice to have a steady paycheck for a while. It was Oliver Jackson and Earl May, Art Barron and myself were the house band. I was 24 and 25 at the time. Jon Gordon nice house art When you experience resistance, you find the lessons that you are meant to learn Jon Gordon stay-positive resistance lessons
![Bob [Gordon] died young tragically. by Jon Gordon](https://whatsmyquote.com/images/quote-medium-quote-5dba0fa23d1e7810654ffb969b3d9d8d.jpg)
![I love to see people recognized [me on scene]. by Jon Gordon](https://whatsmyquote.com/images/quote-medium-quote-67f3546db01939f028d052b2489475d5.jpg)
