I taught History of Jazz classes for almost fifty years in several major universities (UNC, UM, NMSU, UNC-C and CPCC). My father played sax in a 1920’s Combo (The Boll Weevils in North Carolina). The person who really got me interested in jazz was Pianist/DJ Billy Taylor- whose evening shows on WNEW kept me entranced through my high school years on Long Island. His laid-back delivery and choice of jazz artists intrigued this young trumpet player, and I eventually led a high school dance band (The Stardusters) that enabled me to bring improvisation into my repertoire. I heard Billy Taylor live twice in NYC in the late 50s.m, and was blown away with his awesome ability. I was also influenced by pianist Marion McPartland who dj’d a weekend radio show, and mc’d a wonderful historic group of pianists at Lincoln Center in the 70s, including Eubie Blake through Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, and Herbie Hitchcock. I was very fortunate to have had easy access to both Taylor and McPartland whose informed grasps of jazz history laid the groundwork for the History of Jazz classes I brought to thousands of university students from 1968-2014. (I should also mention Mark Gridley, whose Jazz History texts I employed over the years.) Dr. John Harding