“I’m going to give you one note today,” Bechet told his surprised pupil. “See how many ways you can play that note—growl it, smear it, flat it, sharp it, do anything you want to it. That’s how you express your feelings in this music. It’s like talking.”

Thelonious Monk playing “Honeysuckle Rose”.

MASTER THE INSTRUMENT, MASTER THE MUSIC, THEN FORGET ALL THAT SHIT AND PLAY. —Charlie Parker

Ah, but listen to how Oliver plays the notes. By shrewdly manipulating his trumpet mute, Oliver could take a single note, an E-flat in this instance, and work wonders with it. He could turn it into a sensual moan, an aggressive growl, a bemused wah-wah, or a baby crying for Mama. The narrowness in the note selection hardly matters—in fact, it makes

how much can happen even within the narrow confines of a single note.