Stimulating discussion here as former US President Bill Clinton introduces and interviews the great jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. President Clinton refers to the great playwright and Czechoslovakian president Václav Havel whose life and work intersected with the arts and society in his introduction and turning to Wynton speaks of his own enduring friendship with the great New Orleanian and mentions topical albums of his such as Wynton's recent albums including the excellent satire The Ever Fonky Lowdown and The Democracy Suite. President Clinton, a keen tenor saxophonist and committed jazz fan, says that when he was practising going back to his younger days he realised that he could never be as good as John Coltrane and then reminisces with Wynton about advice he gleaned from him when they talked about making progress as a player taking the model of Coltrane as an ultimate example. Wynton says: ''I loved the fact you played and brought that consciousness to people'' and speaks of the ''hipfulness'' and ''soulfulness of Coltrane''. ''We know what A Love Supreme Is… Coltrane worked his behind off… In jazz you can achieve the sound of your person… It depends what your definition of virtuosity is''. The discussion then gets deeper and even more thought provoking on societal matters as America looks to get to a place where the healing may even, pausing to consider, be observable to have begun. Both President Clinton and Wynton were also involved recently in supporting fundraising efforts to keep the lights on at the great jazz club Birdland in New York City which is under threat of permanently closing due to the sustained shuttering of venues as the Pandemic continues to rage. SG