I bought [a record player and] a lot of the 78s [in Orlando, Florida, 1940s]. Strange, but I didn't break a one, even though they were made of shellac… I also had a healthy supply of Nat Cole's hits--maybe "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?" or "I Just Can't See for Looking." I had me a Lionel Hampton side of "Flying Home." And I know at some point I owned Lester Young's "Lester Leaps In" and "DB Blues." I especially admired Lester's playing--his cool, laid-back phrasing and his salty sound. Among the vocalists of the time I continued to follow Ella Fitzgerald. For me, she's always been in a category by herself, a musician so good that even non-musicians appreciate her. I liked Sarah Vaughan, too, and had great admiration for her range. I like to compare Ella to Cannonball Adderley --they're both so lyrical--and Sarah to John Coltrane --they're both calculating, masterful technicians... I could certainly relate to the way Al Hibbler and Duke did "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" or "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me." << less