I continued writing arrangements for big bands in Seattle [1948/9]… And even though I was listening to lots of Charlie Parker, I was also very much into Woody Herman… He had a very loose, very swinging big band-- particularly the Herd with Bill Harris on trombone. I especially loved "Four Brothers." I also paid some attention to Stan Kenton. I thought of his band as a white version of Lionel Hampton's. Very screamy. Very brassy. It didn't swing nearly as much as Hamp's band, but it had that same sort of blaring brass. Cat called Bumps Blackwell had a well-known [jazz] combo around Seattle. Bumps played vibes and worked a great deal in white clubs. From time to time, he used me on piano. And there was also my good friend Gerald Brashear. He was a tenor saxophonist who gigged with Cecil Young's [jazz ] group. << less