The Washingtonians were different in several ways. We paid quite a lot of attention to our appearance [in New York]… [Arthur] Whetsol’s tonal character [on the trumpet], fragile and genteel, was an important element in our music. As a result of playing all those society dances in Washington, we had learned to play softly, what is sometimes known as under-conversation music. [Otto Hardwick] also contributed much to this by playing sweet and straight on his C-melody saxophone.