Een schitterende quote over improvisatie, toen pianist-componist Frederic Rzewski, vader van Jan Rzewski die we niet zo heel lang geleden nog met Misha Mengelberg in Vooruit aan het werk zagen, in 1968 Steve Lacy tegen het lijf liep.
In 1968 I ran into Steve Lacy on the street in Rome. I took out my pocket tape recorder and asked him to describe in fifteen seconds the difference between composition and improvisation. He answered: “ In fifteen seconds the difference between composition and improvisation is that in composition you have all the time in the world to decide what to say in fifteen seconds, while in improvisation you have fifteen seconds.” His answer lasted exactly fifteen seconds and is still the best formulation of the question I know.
Via de vertaling van J. Bernlef in Schiet niet op de pianist, het oorspronkelijke citaat gevonden op internet.