I was heavy into my Jack Kerouac phase when I first heard Mingus Ah Um.  Goddamn, it’s amazing!  “Better Git it in Your Soul” is so brilliant in every way, and it’s the perfect song to start off this album.  It builds anticipation, it holds your interest, and it delivers. 

Every song on this album is its own little world, like a little movie or something.  When I listen to jazz I often imagine myself in a movie with the music playing behind me as I get into some sort of intriguing situation, or just as I walk down the street or lazily relax on the couch and sip a mug of hot tea.  I love that!  Music should transport you, it should uplift you.  It should make you feel.  It should make you real.   

This album was my inspiration as I…