“It’s the attitude about life, man. Looking at the light instead of the dark. Looking at love instead of fear.”

My son is a hip-hop producer.

It’s amazing how much trouble you can get in when you don’t have anything else to do.

I was the most subtle person in the world.

The relationship with a producer and an artist is really special. It’s got to be love and respect, amazing mutual respect for each other, because that’s what makes a good record.

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.”

What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are.

The answer I gave myself and the oracle was that it was to my advantage to be as I am.

Judge me by my past, don’t get mad when I put you there.

Art is something that nobody laughs at and nobody makes any money out of is the attitude, which I would dispute.

To respond is positive, to react is negative.

Whatever anyone does or says, I must be emerald and keep my colour.

A lot of people judged me. I like the way it looks, so you have to be confident.

I don’t mind making jokes, but I don’t want to look like one.