“There is a viewpoint which holds that any recorded music which cannot also

be produced in natural live performance is a "gimmick" and therefore should

not be considered as a pure musical effort.

To the person who uses music as a medium for the expression of ideas, feelings,
images, or what have you; anything which facilitates this expression is properly
his instrument. Though one can argue that sirens, airplane motors, ratchets,
whistles, etc. are justified more on dramatic than musical grounds, no such
question is raised here. In my opinion the only solid and interesting question
that the music making here presents is that of whether this should be regarded as
a group or solo musical performance.

Until the evolution of jazz group improvisation the history of Western music or
music as we know it outside of jazz represents the reflection of one psyche. For
the first time in a music of Western origin, jazz group improvisation represents
the very provocative revelation of two, three, four, or five minds responding
simultaneously to each other in a unified coherent performance.

I remember that in recording the selections, as 1 listened to the first track while
playing the second, and the first two while playing the third, the process
involved was an artificial duplication of simultaneous performance in that each
track represented a musical mind responding to another musical mind or minds.

The argument that the same mind was involved in all three performances could
be advanced, but I feel that this is not quite true. The functions of each track are
different, and as one in speech feels a different state of mind making statements
than in responding to statements or commenting on the exchange involved in
the first two; so I feel that the music here has more the quality of a "trio" than a
solo effort.

Another condition to be considered is the fact that I know my musical

techniques more thoroughly than any other person, so that, it seems to me, I am
equipped to respond to my previous musician statements with the most accuracy
and clarity.”

Recorded in January & February, 1963 Recording Engineer: Ray Hall Director
of Engineering: Val Valentin Produced by: Creed Taylor.