Stan, in an interview discussing Lester Young's influence.

"He [Lester Young] was the first tenor saxophone player I heard play melodically, to make beautiful melodies. The saxophone is actually a translation of the human voice, in my conception. All you can do is play melody. No matter how complicated it gets, it’s still a melody. I never tried to play like Pres, but I so loved his conception of music that maybe some of it seeped into me. It’s supposed to be that way. A lot of people have influenced me. You don’t try to imitate it; you digest it. Because you love it so much, some of it comes out…

After the thirty years or so I’ve been in music, he still comes through as a guy who wasn’t afraid to show what he felt in his playing, instead of hiding his heart under a bunch of hate and a bunch of notes."

Interview regarding the "Focus" album.

"I don’t purposely try to go in a different direction, like some people do. I just have my own idea about music. I want to play it the way I feel it. You can call it whatever you want, but that’s the way I play. I’ve always tried to play exactly what I thought was right… But anybody that comes to hear me knows I’m still playing the same way I always played, with the addition of worthwhile new material."

UPDATE! NEW WEBMASTER! HILDE HEFTE has very graciously taken on the task of designing Stan's web site! AND WHAT A WORK OF ART SHE IS CREATING!! THANK YOU HILDE!! We are SO GRATEFUL!! I know how much time (and headache!) it involves!! Please do stop by and see her wonderful work there!

THANK YOU THOMAS KUSHIN... for taking care and watching over the fort (website!) until Hilde inherited the headache. (-:

Stop by hello to Hilde. Her contributions here are INCALCULABLE!

Thank you Hilde!
Bev