Regarding the Feb. 26 "Words to Live by" column about Jazz Taxi driver Toshiyuki Anzai: What a fantastic article. Now here's a man with wisdom — not some MBA jerk I see in the United States every day who acts like he knows something. This cabdriver will never go hungry because he feeds the heart of his customers. He made driving a cab his art just like Coltrane did when he revolutionized playing solos with his approach to chord changes.
The next step for Anzai would be to actually start learning how the tunes are constructed and how solos are played within the changes. Then he would understand what the soloist is actually playing while he is listening and enjoying the music. Jazz is America's gift to the world and, to me, it is the greatest form of music ever created — and I started out playing orchestral music. What a great approach to life Anzai has. I could sit in his cab all day. Thanks for the alternative to the gloom and doom!