Favorite groups: Coltrane's quartet
Miles groups: 50's-70's
Bill Evans trio w/Scott Lafaro & Paul Motian

My earliest jazz listening was Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, and Ahmad Jamal. I started playing by ear in my teens in a local R&B group.

Then I heard Trane. It was the awakening, "Coltrane Blues".
Along the way I got deeply into Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Miles, Wayne Shorter, and for arranging and trio concept, always Ahmad.