“Playing the game, and unfortunately, playing the gangster game is very profitable.”

I’m a tremendous believer and supporter in hip-hop and rap.

Not one ounce of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me.

I chose the trombone because the trombone players in the marching band got to be up front with the majorettes (because of the slides) and I loved that!

Billy Strayhorn wrote Multicolored Blue. Billy to me is the boss of the arrangers.

You can study orchestration, you can study harmony and theory and everything else, but melodies come straight from God.

I learned real early why God gave us two ears and one mouth, because you’re supposed to listen twice as much as you talk.

Whenever a woman would come too close, I would cut her off. Part of that was vindictive – but that was totally subconscious.

When you’re over the hill, that’s when you pick up speed.

I’ve always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, “Ain’t that the truth.”

If I don’t have a mother, I’ll let music be my mother.

Imagine what a harmonious world it could be if every single person, both young and old shared a little of what he is good at doing.

All the jazz guys had interracial relationships, and even the ladies did. Over the years, interracial relationships have been a hip, almost defiant thing, a way of saying “Nobody can put a boundary around me.”

I was married for 36 years but now I’m free.

You have to know that your real home is within.

I’m never in my life going to do a record that’s a tribute to myself. I don’t need it.

Music in movies is all about dissonance and consonance, tension and release.

The modern society is a game of crafty egoism.

Be the same person with the same name. Just a different mindset and a new game.

America is going to be back. We’re going to be back in the game.

Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.

It ain’t over till it’s over

You need to motivate the guys about how much of an effect it will have on the game.

You have got to love the game.

It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.