Milt Jackson on playing with big bands.

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Milt Jackson discusses musical integrity versus commercial success.

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Milt Jackson discusses his ability as a songwriter.

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Q: “You’re a better writer than a lot of people realize, simply because you are such a stand out performer, that a lot of people never stop too think ‘hey yeah, he’s written some great music’…”.

A: “Well, I'd never get a chance to just sit down and concentrate on writing. You know, and actually, the only time I do that, you know, I know I need a new piece or something in that and I run and do it. This is another one … that same … Victor [ph] with that same thing. He’s a very, very gifted writer, as a matter of fact. But you know, he has to be really be prodded into before he'll do it, you know, because he would finally sit down and write a tune like Orlingo [ph], for example, you know, which is a marvelous composition. But even with a lot of those arrangements that we played in that band, that were earlier, I think a lot of people don't know that some of those arrangements he made, regulated [ph] or ’Round Midnight, that's his arrangement. I should care, another one, a very prolific arrangement with Freddie Webster who was a marvelous solo drummer who a lot of people don't even know about. He had one of the biggest ... oh man, such big, pretty sound. And, so you know, when you get caught up in performing, you know, it’s hard. You can’t really do both because, either one is equally time consuming. In other words, it takes much energy and things to sit down and arrange than just perform, you know.”