[And most jazz in New Orleans has a directness about it.] Everyone isn't searching for the hottest, newest lick, ... People are trying to stay true to the melody.

I get a real eerie feeling when I think about my neighbors and just all the people in New Orleans. I just hope that they are safe. It's a real emotional time for me now.

Well, jazz is to me, a complete lifestyle. It's bigger than a word. It's a much bigger force than just something that you can say. It's something that you have to feel. It's something that you have to live.

It's all gone I saw on TV where my whole neighborhood is flooded out,

My house is definitely flooded. I saw it on the news. I've lost my car, my Cadillac, lost over $50,000 worth of instruments, lot of other priceless things like pictures, articles, press clippings, things like that.

My whole recording studio, tons of music, a lot of original scores that I can't ever get back, maybe 50 or 60 tunes I spent years working on - all gone,