All right.

Greg Burk, Rodney Whitaker.

My pleasure.

Thank you guys so much for joining us here on Streetlight Sessions.

I first want to talk about th relationship that you both have, because you go all the way back to high school if I'm right.

Right, Greg?

Yes.

Rodney and I met... It was my junior year of high school and we met, actually, in Europe.

We were both at Blue Lake in Bavaria, doing a one month big band, rehearsal and tour.

So that's where we met.

And then, we became friends.

And then I started to g to Detroit and and visit Rodney.

And he came to my house and visited me.

This relationship is pretty special then, huh Rodney?

Oh, yeah.

Years and years of work and developing.

I want to talk about the state of jazz today.

We just heard Visions of the Past, which you actually wrote, Rodney.

How would you describe jazz today, especially when it comes to the younger generation and educating them on this genre?

Well, I'm optimistic about it.

Maybe about ten years ago, I was a little bit thinking that we might not survive.

The music might not survive.

But now the young folks, the internet, Instagram, all that, it's got it, got it going on.

And as the joke goes, we typically judge or gauge thing based on what we got going on.

But the young folks are doing it.

And you're a professor of course, at the Michigan State College of Music, one of the best programs in the world, by the way.

There you go, throw that in there!

All right.

Tout that, I love that.

And for you.

What about you?

Greg, when you look at jazz today, is it on an uptick?

Well, ther will always be creative people who are attracted to jazz and have something to say feel like they have something to say.

And jazz is a special outlet for creative musicians.

So jazz will change, but it will always be the voice of people wanting to be, spontaneous through music together.

And that's what's so special about it.

So, yeah, it'l it'll be around forever, I hope.

Well, I tell you what I' excited about song number two.

I'll let you guys get to it.

Thank you so much, gentlemen.

Thank you.