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>> from our studios in new york city, this is "charlie rose." >> marco rubio is here. he is here with a new agenda for reform which he lays out in his second book.

it is called "american dreams restoring economic opportunity for everyone." it covers a range of issues including immigration, income inequality, education, and more. it does not mention whether he will pursue this agenda as a senator or president of the united states. i am pleased to have him back at this table. i read a piece. presidential hopefuls in both parties agree on one thing. economic mobility and the feeling that many americans have, that they are being shut out from the nation's prosperity, will be a defining theme. >> i think it is the defining theme of our time. one of the geneses for this book, my experience in this country is through the lens of somebody raised by two people who as a bartender and a made achieved the american dream --a

maid achieved the american dream. they were never rich but they own a home in a safe and stable neighborhood. millions of people achieve that in the u.s., especially after the second world war. it was part of the fundamental promise we held, that if you were willing to work hard and persevere, you would eventually find a job that would allow you to achieve that lifestyle and maybe more. a growing number of people are doing it. now many people are following that formula, some have graduated from college. they are finding no matter what they do, they cannot find jobs that pay enough to live off. there are millions of people living literally one broken down car away from catastrophe. >> or one illness away from catastrophe. >> or one illness or leak in the roof. you see this all the time. people are really struggling. what is happening now, is people wake up and read the news about how the economy is having a

great year. this is good, but they are saying to themselves, why is that not reaching me? the truth is, if you are willing to work for nine dollars an hour, you can probably find a job that you might not be able to pay your bills. we have to address that. if you lose that upward mobility, i think you have lost the soul, the crux of what makes us special. >> most people agree with that. the question is, how did it happen? secondly, the diversity of ideas as to how to make it better. >> the fundamental reason is not because of a cyclical downturn. this is not a downturn in the economy we will recover from. it is a structural issue. the entire structure of the economy has transformed and continues to transform at a pace faster than before in human history. for example, my parents raised us in a national economy.

today, we truly live in a global economy where factors around the world can have an impact on how much you get paid. we have more global competition than ever. america is increasingly less competitive globally. there are other countries who have lower tax rates, better regulatory environment, who do not have the uncertainty of a national debt crisis. secondly, many of the jobs that once sustained the middle class have been outsourced. they require skills that many people don't have. that has become problematic. >> there are a range of issues that people like larry summers and others have talked about both conservative and keynesian. the idea of a number of things. one, inflation. two, what should the federal reserve policy be? some blame the federal reserve policy.

i had somebody say to me, we went too long with federal buying of bonds. what would you have done differently in terms of trying to manage the economy? then --than this president has done since 2008? >> i think we need to change the mandate of federal policy. the president cannot tell the federal reserve what to do. i would have been an advocate for stable monetary policy based on the stability of the currency, not using it as a lever for economic policy. it has been a bonanza for people to invest in equities, but for individuals who have savings they are held in savings accounts, it has been terrible. they are not getting any return on investment.

here is my point. i would say both parties are guilty of not offering this vision. i would say this president has gone even further. in being counterproductive. we have to become globally competitive. we can no longer take for granted we are america and people must do business here. there are developed countries with better tax code and regulatory environment. better attitude towards job creation. better migratory policies that allows them to attract top global talent. we need to make sure those jobs and innovations are happening here. we have to invest in our people. >> everybody knows we need to be competitive with the rest of the world. everybody knows we ought to have tax reform, however you tend to look at that is the question. we also need entitlement reform. but then you need to balance between tax reform and

entitlement reform. >> the issue of entitlement reform falls in the context of long-term debt. the drivers are medicare and medicaid. to some extent, social security. i talk about this in the book, and i advocated this in my senate campaign. i don't want to make changes for people like my mother in the system now. or people near retirement. the good news is, if we act now, we can save medicare and social security. we can place our country on a sustainable path without making disruptive changes for current beneficiaries. >> it has been eye-opening how many roads lead to education. the ultimate wage an answer --en hancer is a good and relevant education. >> good and relevant. the president last friday announced we are going to have free community college, which in theory sounds great. yes, if it leads to degrees that

lead to jobs. >> you applaud him for taking the initiative. >> i applaud him for taking initiative on the issue. >> you say you agree with senator elizabeth warren that the game is rigged. >> but we disagree on why it is rigged. she believes it is rigged by republicans and the wealthy class. i believe it is rigged by the government itself. if you are an established business entity in a heavily regulated industry. sometimes you do not mind because only a big company like you can afford to comply with them. you have seen industries use the regulatory system or laws to create all sorts of hurdles for new competitors to enter the space they are in. i always joke that blockbuster video would still be in business if it had convinced policymakers to pass a law prohibiting the downloading of movies. under the arguments that 17-year-old might be able to watch rated r movies.

you probably could have made a compelling public safety argument in that way. in hindsight, there never would have been netflix. >> you want to reduce the corporate tax. >> i do. i think that is important to give us competitive. i believe it will lead to more revenue. >> you want to raise the minimum wage. >> what i want to do, instead of the simple and among wage increase, which i don't to get -- accomplish what we want i , want to look at the earned income tax program and create what i call a wage enhancer. it opens it up to all workers including childless workers. delivering the benefit, instead of through your tax return through your paycheck. if you are making a dollars and -- eight or nine dollars per hour you would get a wage enhancement. it incentivizes work.

even if your works not paying a lot, you are gaining valuable experience that will serve you in the future. number two, it prevents people from becoming chronically unemployed. and three, it helps them with their wages. >> what you want to do about obamacare? >> they should have said, we are going to create conditions for a marketplace where individuals can to buy health insurance. they can buy it for themselves or through their employer from any company in america. that competition that now exists -- i know what it is not a good comparison. all americans would be able to buy it from the individual market. >> and if they can't. >> that is what medicaid is for. for the vast majority of americans, the ability to take a tax credit or your own money and use it to shop for health insurance will lead to the existence of a vibrant competitive market.

>> the affordable care act enhances and and largest medicaid. are you in favor? >> people find themselves on medicaid but cannot find a doctor. more and more doctors refuse to accept it. people find themselves on medicaid that can find doctors. -- and cannot find doctors. states are offered a certain amount of money at the front end in later years are on the hook for the majority of the tab. >> what can you say about the health care act? the best thing? >> it has forced us to have a debate. >> the projected costs have not been as bad as assumed.

>> but not as good either. they are not bearing out on the consumer side. people realize before they can begin to use the insurance, they have to come up with $4000 as part of their deductible. they are not really insured. >> i want to talk about a big policy issue you have been identified with is immigration. you have amnesty and deportation. how do we find the smartest place between those two? >> those are false choices. there are few voices calling for the roundup and deportation of 12 million people. on the other side, there are few saying we are going to award blanket amnesty. the only way forward, and i have learned this from experience, i was involved in comprehensive immigration reform efforts -- it ran into resistance. >> and resistance for you. >> but that is part of being involved in leadership. i knew the history of

immigration debate in this country. i went in with open eyes and i have no regrets. i learned a lot about what it will take to achieve something. here is what i learned. the biggest opposition we had was the argument that you will do the legalization and they will never do the enforcement. they pointed back to 1986 when ronald reagan signed a law that had enforcement. >> who will not do the enforcement? >> the federal government. >> why? >> they say, you will get the legalization and the enforcement never happens. you hear that repeatedly and conservative circles. and in those who are resistant to change. a secondary argument is we have a tough time finding a job and now you are going to bring more people in. the main argument was the one i outlined. that is why i have concluded the only way we can achieve a result, a solution, --

>> have you backtracked at all? >> no. what i know argue is the only way for us to achieve immigration reform is through a different process. not a comprehensive bill. you cannot do it in one bill but you can do it in three steps. step one is, when --win the confidence of the american people that illegal immigration is under control. i would say detailing our foreign aid in central america. second modernizing legal immigration systems. third, i believe you will have strong bipartisan support to deal reasonably with those who are here illegally. >> taking into consideration all the issues we have talked about, most of them domestic, where among those issues do you have a significant different position than jeb bush? >> the answer is i don't know.

he has not been engaged in the debate about this for 10 years. i am sure he has ideas and we will hear them. if we run for president, these are the kinds of things we would talk about. i think in general, most of the republican candidates share a commitment to free enterprise. where the differences will come in >> do you think hillary clinton is committed as well? >> in the abstract, i think everybody is. if you look at the policies, the answer is no. if hillary clinton runs, she will get lots of support from wall street. i think primarily because people who are involved in large enterprises understand a big government run by people who are supportive of crony corporatism is beneficial. >> did bill clinton say the age of big government is over?

>> he may have said that -- and you know what, when republicans won control of congress in 1994 he reached across the aisle and did something this president never did. he did welfare reform. at the end, both these are -- both parties are guilty of this. the people who can afford to influence government are all over the halls of the capitol. arguing in favor of loss that favor them. -- laws that favor them. >> what does the entry of mitt romney due to the republican field? >> he has run twice now so he has a vast network of supporters and has raised a lot of money. he has the advantage of being an experienced campaigner. i think he will be a credible candidate, as would jeb and others. at the end of the day, this election will come down to whether we are ready to attorney

-- turn the page as a country and move into the 21st century. >> you argue that bush and rummy -- romney do not. >> i am saying that is an argument they will have to make. no matter who are nominee is. no matter when they govern. >> is it difficult for bush and romney to do that? >> i don't know. that is what the campaigns will be about. i believe the next president and i hope the next republican nominee will be someone who can make the case i have tried to make, which is the 21st century is here, the 20th century is over and never coming back three the nature of our economy has transformed and we must transform with it. we need turn the page election in this country. >> who is presenting the most exciting 21st century ideas? in your judgment?

>> no one yet, that is the challenge. that is what the campaign will be about. a lot of the coverage is the horse race, who raises what. ultimately what i hope will decide this campaign is what unites americans behind a shared plan of action. >> can your party win the presidency without an appeal to the hispanic community that has an increasing percentage of the voting public? >> the answer is no, but not for the reasons you are asking. i don't think you have to have a hispanic message. >> i didn't say that. my question was, can you win without attracting them? >> we should not want to. >> if you do know better than mitt romney in 2000 -- >> the numbers are the numbers. you have a fast-growing demographic group. a rapidly growing demographic

group in key states. if they are off the table, it gets harder and harder. >> what is the biggest myth? about then you can -- about then? >> they are not a monolith. cuban-americans in new jersey have different views from miami from cubans in tampa. that is just in the cuban community. which is not as large as mexican-americans and others. the biggest myth is somehow they wake up in the morning and all they think about is immigration. the most important issue in hispanic community happens to be the most important in america. economic mobility. you are talking people who came to this country in hopes of better lives for themselves and their children. the fact that that is becoming harder to achieve has many people scared and upset about the future.

>> so those specific ideas tailored to the hispanic community, what you have to do in your judgment is not tailor specific messages to them but make one which has appeals to their economic mobility. if you did that you would win. but the fact is, republicans have not done that. they have not succeeded in terms of national elections. >> unfortunately, i think there are too many people in american who believe republicans do not care or understand people like them. people struggling to pay bills. they think of the republican party and conservative movement as a defender of the status quo. they think it is the party of big business. >> they think the republican party does not reach out to them. >> that is part and parcel to what i have outlined. it is not true. we have an exciting agenda that is better for those trying to make it than the other side. click what would cause you -- >>

what would cause you to make a decision not to run? >> if i conclude the best place for me to achieve this agenda is in the senate. >> it is hard for me to believe. you would decide i could do more in the senate than in the white house. there is no person who believes you can do more as a senator from florida then as resident of the united states in terms of impact. >> everyone is at a different stage in their career. for someone who was a governor turning out of office, that is not a choice they can make. for somebody who holds the position and has a chance to run for reelection -- >> you have to make a choice, because it is one or the other. >> what i have argued is not where you can make the biggest difference. where can i have the biggest impact in achieving this agenda? >> terror. we have seen a terrible attack in paris. we have seen the expansion of

isis, isil in terms of the islamic state. they has more territory than anyone has ever imagined. they are in control of mosul. we have seen atrocities we have never imagined. and we see with boko haram in africa. terrible things with children. what ought to be the policy of this government to try to combat those kinds of terror and extremism? >> there is a two-pronged approach. first, clearly we have to have every intelligence tool at our disposal in terms of identifying potential plots. both in the homeland and around the world. we cannot afford to diminish our intelligence gathering capabilities. there are always concerns about privacy. >> do think the reaction went too far? to snowden? in terms of nsa?

>> you have leading policymakers telling people there phones are being listened to and it is not true and they know it is not true. >> in other words, you were satisfied with all the things that snowden disclosed. >> some of the things he said are not true. some of the things he says are things that are exaggerated. some of the things snowden says are not even troubling in my mind, but do concern me because they are treasonous. islamic radical groups have changed the ways they operate. based on some of information not just his disclosure but from others. these groups prosper in safe havens, areas where they are allowed to -- al qaeda had a safe haven in afghanistan and then they moved it to pakistan. now isis is in syria and iraq. their newly established safe haven is in libya.

there is no national government shooting at them. >> competition among militias. >> there is no competition even among militias. they need a safe haven to set up operations, plotting. you cannot give them safe haven. we can no longer be for the -- no longer be fooled about the risk of homegrown extremists people who may not even travel to the middle east. and become radicalized online. there is a monthly english-language publication -- i don't know if it is monthly -- the publication of al qaeda. you don't have to go to syria. they detailed on how to build an explosive. they just gave you a manual online. this is a new threat we face. i think it is present in this country today. there are thousands of people with the ability to carry out these attacks. >> are you surprised there has not been an attack on the u.s.?

there have been efforts. >> i am not surprised, because we have extraordinary men and women in the intelligence community that have worked very hard to prevent that. i am not surprised because george w. bush put in place, and this president has continued anti-terror operations that have made it difficult for al qaeda to operate. i fully expect that at some point there will be another terrorist attack of some magnitude in the homeland. it is a question of numbers. something will get through. we have to do everything we can to prevent that. >> should the president or vice president have been in paris? >> yes. i understand why the president wouldn't have done it perhaps. it is an extraordinary package that moves with him when he travels. i think they could have sent the secretary of state or the un ambassador. eric holder.

george w. bush and bill clinton. a number of things they could have done. i think they have acknowledged it was a mistake. i am more interested long term in the policies. >> his book is called "american dreams." back in a moment. ♪ >> congress is awash with republicans. the only republican who defeated an incumbent was colorado's cory gardner. we are pleased to have you. what are your expectations for this congress? >> the big expectations, we have to prove to the american people we can govern. we can govern responsibly and maturely. that is something i have talked about.

that means we put practical ideas on the desk of the president. ideas supported by republicans and democrats alike to regain trust of the people. >> let's talk about some of those. you were first elected in 2010. your friend said one of the striking things about most new members, they were not happy about coming to washington. it was unpleasant duty. there is no sense of appreciation of the institution. is it the same with the newcomers? >> being part of the class of 2010, a lot of people were sent here with big ideas and big hopes. just like we are in 2014. but i think maybe it is different. they know the tufts slogged it is going to be over the next two years as we try to build consensus and support. if you look at the people

elected to the senate, there are talented and smart people. dedicated public servants who are going to do a good job. people with portable experience. -- political experience. >> you are moving from a house where partisanship is a way of life. most votes along party lines, to the senate where it can be accomplished only with bipartisanship. 60 votes. does that change your approach? >> one of the things i have learned is the need to cooperate and work with both sides of the aisle. so many times, people are approaching a problem but with different ideas about how to address it. that is where we need to work together. we have a problem with the economy, balancing the budget. foreign relations or education. how do we address those

problems? in a way we can put together the votes to put it onto the president's desk. >> you are going from representing a conservative district in the state of colorado to a state that if anything is democratic leaning. a different constituency. does that change your approach? >> one of the things we have always been attentive to his -- is making sure we are upfront about where we stand on policies like immigration. economic policies. the people of colorado, maybe you disagree with them on this issue or that issue, but the bottom line is as long as they believe their elected official in the house or senate is actually trying to make progress, trying to move the ball forward, they are going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

as long as they believe you are working hard. >> i'm struck by your optimism. yet washington has not seen a lot of optimism. some of your republican colleagues, ted cruz in the senate, they are not interested in getting things done as much as they are in putting down markers. isn't it more likely it will be a series of confrontations? >> i think everybody is interested in getting things done. that is why people ran for congress in the first place. everyone. i believe they do. maybe they have different goals about what they want to a -- accomplished, but i believe it is about making a better place here in washington and across the country. the optimism i think we have to grow. the american people have struggled long enough, whether it is trying to find work, the kind of wages they need to make ends meet.

american families have enough to worry about. what they don't want to think about or worry about is the person they sent to washington. they have to know we are trying to make their lives better every day. that's why we have to be optimistic, remain in optimistic nation. on election night i talked about , raising our eyes to the rocky mountain horizon. because ours is an ever hopeful state. their vision on to be a forward upward vision. -- ought to be a forward, upward vision. >> one of the first orders of business is passing the keystone pipeline. president obama has said he will veto it. does that send a bad message from the white house? >> this is an opportunity for us to put bills on his desk that have bipartisan support. this is a bipartisan bill out of the gate. >> do you think he's set a bad tone? >> i think he did and maybe he

will change his mind. the bottom line is, he has the opportunity to work with a congress willing to work with him, find areas we can agree on. i think the keystone pipeline should be one. with 70% support, it's something he should embrace. >> when one of the first things republican leaders say is we will repeal obamacare, does that set a bad tone? >> we have to realize we are going to put forward a measure to repeal obamacare. the american people agree with that. we have to make sure we are working on alternatives. >> you know it is not going to happen. >> a president named obama is most likely not going to repeal a bill called obamacare. but we have to put forward our alternatives. maybe eventually there are enough who realize what is in place is unworkable. that we will get to that point. whether it is in two years or three or four.

>> let me ask you about immigration. that has been a big issue in your state. there are house republicans proposing a homeland security authorization that they would deny funding for obama's executive action. some would even deny funding for the dreamers action. is that helpful or constructive? >> i hope that we as republicans, instead of just saying, no to this or that, we can come up with a solution to a problem that needs to be addressed. clearly immigration is one of those issues he have a problem with. our system is not working. just saying no is not the way we have to go. i believe we have to do more. the president did, even the president has said it was wrong. he said he lacked the constitutional authority to do it. time and time again, he said he lacked the legal authority. >> they claim it now. >> a year or two ago -- he didn't.

>> but you support the dreamers act. >> i think that will ultimately be part of a solution but we have to start with a secure border. a guest worker program. they want it proven that we can handle the bigger issues like border security. >> do you think it is possible to get some sort of accord? that includes some legal status citizenship for almost all 11 million undocumented? >> at some point, that will be one of the solutions that is reached. right now, we should put forward a bill that includes border security. addresses a meaningful guest worker program. without a meaningful guest worker program, you do not have meaningful border security. let's put those pieces in place and then move forward. >> you did well with latino voters. four republican -- for a republican. you were very aggressive. the party has a problem. you worry if you do not get this

done, the problem with latino voters in the next election is going to be greater? >> it is not about voters. is about what happens to our country. our daughter goes to school with a number of people whose parents came without documentation. or they themselves are here without documentation. they go to school with our children and are in our communities. they have made our country stronger. most of us are here because of immigration. how do we make these fixes in the best interest of our country? >> let me ask you about energy. lower oil prices put more money -- something like $200 billion into consumer prices. , on the other hand, it is hurting some of the energy industry. some of which is in your state. have these prices been good for americans? >> i have not received letters or e-mails complaining about the low prices. so far, but consumers have

decided lower gas prices are good and nobody's complaining or feels bad. >> let me ask you a colorado question. marijuana is legal in your state, but as i understand it, i think there are more dispensaries than starbucks. >> several years ago, the attorney general said when medical marijuana was underway he said there were more dispensaries than starbucks and mcdonald's combined. whether that is true today, i am not sure. >> i gather because of federal , drug laws, most of the banks will not take that money. this is a billion dollar cash only operation. should and can you change federal laws? >> that is a discussion congress has to have. it cannot be ignored. a member from colorado has introduced legislation to try to pursue that question. that is a question that congress

cannot ignore. >> would you like to see it? >> i would like to see the discussion. >> where do you come down? >> i'm not quite sure. i want to hear all sides. law enforcement. safety, the governor. i have not had an in-depth conversation with the governor. we have to make sure we do what is right. the people of colorado have made a decision. since this amendment passed, i have stated the founders of this nation have always intended states to be laboratories of democracy. colorado is deep in the heart of the laboratory right now. >> i want to ask you a question about the economy. there was a report that 600,000 jobs in the last two months, unemployment down, we are the envy of the world. is there any danger congress will screw it up? [laughter] >> never underestimate the ability of congress to screw something up. we have to make sure we change that so that does not become the norm. i'm excited about the numbers.

the labor participation rate remains where it was, meaning there are many americans out of the workforce who have given up looking for work. they are not working anymore. the key to the economy, and this is part of the people who voted for our campaign, independents and democrats who voted for cory gardner, they have been working harder than ever. maybe they have two jobs. maybe they're looking for a second job with they are working harder than ever but for the past 10-15 years, they are earning the same amount of money. the haves have more and the have-nots have less. that is what is wrong with our economy. if you stretch the numbers, you get to the unevenness. >> thank you. we will be back in just a minute. ♪

>> marcus roberts is here. at age five, cataracts took his vision. that did not take away his desire to become a pianist. as a composer, he has inspired a generation. winston marsalis calls him the

genius of the modern piano. it will become known as the school of marcus roberts. in he received a degree from the may, juilliard school. i am pleased to have him back at this table. welcome, professor. you are professor of jazz at florida state. >> yes i am. about 10 years now. >> we talked about the transfer you are making to academia. are the students interested in jazz? do you have to create their enthusiasm? >> it is a funny thing. there is a set of them who seem to want to get into it. you can identify them by their attitude, the discipline in the amount of work they are willing to do. they come in. honestly, even though i am in

the classroom, i have trained people all my life. that is through getting them all in the room. we work on the communicating principles. people have to listen to each other and reconcile the oppositions of life. through a cooperative environment. >> how has your music changed over the years? >> it has broadened. the scope and range of influence , because i think in order to influence people, you have to come -- if you are a writer, you want to read a lot of books. i get into more and more composers. i have been listening to a lot of great classical pianists.

just trying to continue to search for more ways to create different sounds and tempers from the piano. >> is the gift to improvise, is that a learned skill or something you are born with. >> it can be either or both parade even if you are born with it, it has to be cultivated like anything. a great chef might start off cooking. but to be a chef, you have to study a lot of things about relationships of food and ingredients and all that. with improvisation, the biggest component and difficulty is, especially in jazz, you need to be able to have a mind that can comprehend what other folks are trying to do. even though you might not like what they are playing, you have to figure out how to make it sound good.

that's what makes jazz more democratic in terms of relating to our constitution and the principles of our country. we ultimately had an individual agenda, but we have to put inside of a shared, common purpose. >> when did you know you had skill, genius, whatever you want to call it? >> i was a self-confident kid. i was probably thinking that it -- at six or seven or eight. >> that you had a gift. >> yes i think so. the first time i went to a piano, i was able to play something. i didn't even know what it was but it sounded good to me. every time i got to one, i took it. that is what motivated my folks to buy a piano when i was 8.5 years old. >> you said thelonious monk is the picasso of the piano.

>> absolutely. his melodies and rhythms and approach to improvisation -- on one level, his approach is real folk oriented. there is history there. at the same time, he has in individual approach that was hard for musicians to get. at the time. a lot of people did not like playing with him because they did not understand what he was doing. they thought it was not quite what it was because they did not get it. over time, people figured it out. >> you are with winston marsalis. how long have you known each other? >> since 1982 or 1983. it has been a long time. we started playing together as a young guys. >> you joined his septet in 1985? >> june of 1985. the funny thing is we were first of all interested in playing the

music right. approach the vision we had based on understanding more about it. we would listen to each other play. we were very critical in that group. if something was wrong, so that -- somebody would just tell you. nobody had an attitude about it. when i work with young people now, this is what i try to encourage. be honest about what you are really hearing and what you really think. try to resolve your conflicts through a respectful attitude. >> was it winston that turned you on to jelly roll? >> it really was. i don't know where we were, but he put on some jelly roll and i truly had not heard anything like that new orleans piano. some of it sounded a bit like gospel church music.

that is why i had that identification with it right away. >> this is where winton gives you a musical test. take a look. >> we gave him a musical test. play a familiar tune in different styles. let's take america the beautiful, for example. ♪ >> first, as it might have been played by errol garner. a legend from half a century ago. ♪ what about james e johnson? ♪ >> in the early 20th century, johnson took ragtime invaded -- and made it swing. >> what about thelonius monk? >> monk was the modernist. the picasso of tn oh.

-- piano. ♪ >> what about duke? >> duke would be -- ♪ >> he heard duke ellington, one of the pillars of american music, on the radio in 1975 and it changed his life. >> how did it change your life? >> i had never heard the piano being used the way duke was using it. those complicated chords. the head --hip rhythms, swing, the pulse, the groove. i had never heard anything like it. all the popular music i was growing up and listening to. i liked it and loved it. i understood it completely. it took me about a week to learn. a pop record or something. but duke, i had no clue what that was. i was like, i have to figure this out. >> what is it you think you miss

most about not having site? -- i said? eyesight? >> the ability to conduct a symphony orchestra. simple things like, you know driving to the store. >> both living at the same time, the highest experience of excellence. >> yes, and i guess really even more, to observe at a glance what is really in your immediate environment and enjoy the beauty of the world from a visual point of view. like when people go sightseeing. looking at a castle or the backdrop of a cathedral. or a mountain top. i think there is something in man when you can confirm you are very small in this big world. it helps people keep connected with a spiritual thing. vision, if you use it correctly, can help you out with that.

>> at this stage in your life what is the great ambition for , you? >> to develop and focus on teaching young people. continuing to become a better pianist. ultimately to enjoy being an artist. it is a blessing i get to enjoy playing in front of people every night. it is an absolute honor and privilege. i have more appreciation for it than i did when i was younger. >> if someone he has the time, whatever else it would take, could you teach most people to play piano? >> no. >> because they do not have something. >> yes. i used to love the saxophone when i was a kid. i was pretty good. but, the piano, there is so much literature. the kind of physical coordination you have to have to play the piano, i have been

doing it for 40 years and i feel i am at the beginning of what it has to offer. >> but you are getting better and better. >> i hope so. i am practicing as much as i can. it is a tough thing. >> gershwin song, someone to watch over me, what does that mean to you? >> is a beautiful lyric and melody. when i play it i guess i am interested in colors that are beautiful and subtle. >> you have said it is a way to remember your parents and teachers and fellow musicians who watched over you. who gave you a pathway. >> no doubt about it, especially my mom. she is blind as well. she never allowed -- the fact that i do not consider myself a victim is due to her.

both of my parents. when you think of the people who have been good to you, that is part of what makes you want to reciprocate that. you are right. a lot of people are involved in any persons success. >> are you on the road much? >> quite a bit. learning and teaching. i was able to reconnect with a person in japan who commissioned me to write a piece. he wants to premiere it after his 80th birthday. i have to use a special technology to get that done. i have to write it for a full orchestra and produce a score that he can look at and read. >> roll tape, let me see this. ♪ [applause] >> this performance a few years that which he calls one of his greatest experiences, playing his take on george gershwin's rhapsody in blue with the berlin philharmonic before 18,000

people. ♪ a lot of it is improvised, spur of the moment. ♪ gershwin would have been knocked out. ♪ [applause] >> that was good. you communicate with the conductor, or he communicates with you, simply with music. >> yes. that used to scare conductors. when i first started.

seiji, we help each other. because he wanted to get into jazz and i want to have interchange with classical. we go through the piece and talked through it. we take the tempos. -- we picked the tempos. i explain how i'm going to come out of each queue. there's a lot of trust involved. if he is trying to get my attention, the only way to do it is through the orchestra. >> professor marcus roberts, genius thank you for joining us. see you next time. ♪

>> live from pier three in san francisco, welcome to "bloomberg west." i'm cory johnson. here's a check of your top headlines. switzerland ending its three-year policy of tying the swiss franc to the euro. the news said swiss stocks lower on fears it will hurt exports to europe. the u.s. stocks drop for the fifth straight day. banks fell. this year's flu vaccine is not working too well. the cdc says this season's flu vaccine is 23% effective against the predominant flu strain.