Joe Henderson – I took six or eight lessons with the legendary Joe Henderson when he was living in San Francisco in the late 1980s. This was a life-changing experience and continues to influence me to this day.
Ali Akbar Khan – I took a vocal class for a semester at The Ali Akbar Khan school of music in San Rafael, with this great master of Indian music. This was another life-changing experience, having the ideas of another great master musician inscribed on my brain.
Steve Coleman – I took a lesson with Steve Coleman in Oakland in the mid-90s. Yet another mind-bending musical experience from another great master.
George Brooks – I took a lesson in the mid-2000s in Berkeley with the incredible saxophonist George Brooks, who is a serious practitioner of jazz and Indian music. He gave me another lifetime worth of material to study, obtained in a single lesson.
Larry Schneider – I took some lessons in the late 1980s with tenor saxophone master Larry Schneider. This, again, completely changed my life and my approach to music and the saxophone.
Hal Stein – I took lessons for years with the very accomplished and knowledgeable bebop saxophonist Hal Stein in the late 80s. I learned a lot from Hal and especially from the Lester Young solos, Bird and other bop material he turned me onto.
Mark Levine – I took a semester at the Jazz School in Berkeley, California, with the man who literally wrote the book on jazz piano, Mark Levine. Proud to say I aced his class, but still he gave me another lifetime worth of study.
Jeff Clayton – I took some lessons in the early 1980s with well-known L.A. saxophonist Jeff Clayton. I was too immature at that point to understand what he was teaching me, but it was a turning point that sent me in an important new direction.
