Thompson was involved in the world of jazz. Jazz musicians were interested in his work, and he in theirs.

As with jazz, every performance is new and fresh. When it's in a museum setting, it automatically gives it a new context.

I didn't know much about Mabel because I was glued to the jazz musicians,

They said, 'Why don't you make a hit record?' I said, 'It's not a big deal.' Because jazz musicians, there was a syndrome there. And the first record I had out was (Lesley Gore's) 'It's My Party.' I was trying to get her to change her name and I had to go to Tokyo for three weeks. I said, 'We'll fix it when I get back.' So, as soon as I got back it was No. 1. We did it, man. We had 19 hits in four years. Unbelievable.

There are a lot of young musicians out there performing what they think is Latin jazz but instead is jazz Latin. And there's a difference. Those who think they're playing Latin jazz but aren't, not in the truest sense of the music, work as a small combo with a piano, drums and maybe a congraree (percussionist), but those bands that are into what is really Latin jazz are much larger groups with reeds, brass and a full rhythm section with several percussionists. There will always be Latin jazz. My mission is to keep it alive.

We were jazz musicians in the early days. But as soon as we brought in the DJ, the shows turned from people sitting down to dancing.