If You Don't Know What To Play,

First You Imitate, Then You Innovate.

I Never Thought That The Music Called "jazz" Was Ever Meant To Reach Just A Small Group Of People, Or Become A Museum Thing Locked Under Glass Like All The Other Dead Things That Were Once Considered Artistic.

I Think Every Negro Over Fifty Should Get A Medal For Putting Up With All That Crap.

Sometimes [playing Free] Doesn't Happen, Because Maybe A Guy's Wife'll Come In, You Know, And His Ego Will Catch Him. If Everybody's Completely Just Straight-without Any Old Ladies Over Here, A Fourth Of Whisky Over There; If It's Balanced Right, It'll Come Off. It Has To Be. But When You Get Egos Involved With Playing Free, You Can't Do It.

People Will Go For Anything They Don't Understand If It's Got Enough Hype.