Still, when I finally left Miles in '68 and got my own band, it was a logical step; because anybody that left Miles always had their own band.

He just blew me away and what it taught me was that Miles didn't hear it as a mistake.

You could never tell what was going on with Miles. You'd always leave the session not knowing if they got anything of any value because it was always so different.

There's Charlie Parker and there's Miles, there's Trane. I'm none of those guys, so why am I beating myself up trying to find the lost chord all the time?

So much of what I create has been due to the influence of Miles Davis and Donald Byrd, and so many of those that have passed on. Their music, their legacy lives on with the rest of us because we are so highly influenced by their experience and what they have given us.

I got a chance to work with Miles Davis, and that changed everything for me, 'cause Miles really encouraged all his musicians to reach beyond what they know, go into unknown territory and explore. It's made a difference to me and the decisions that I've made over the years about how to approach a project in this music.