“Working with Monk is like falling down a dark elevator shaft.”

The real risk is not changing. I have to feel that I’m after something. If I make money, fine. But I’d rather be striving. It’s the striving, man, it’s that I want.

Change is inevitable in music – things change.

Whatever I’d say would be an understatement. I can only say my life was made much better by knowing him. He was one of the greatest people I’ve ever known, as a man, a friend, and a musician.

The main thing a musician would like to do is to give a picture to the listener of the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe.

I think the majority of musicians are interested in truth.

Any time you play your horn, it helps you. If you get down, you can help yourself even in a rock ‘n’ roll band.

I’d like to point out to people the divine in a musical language that transcends words. I want to speak to their souls.

I never even thought about whether or not they understand what I’m doing, the emotional reaction is all that matters as long as there’s some feeling of communication, it isn’t necessary that it be understood.

Invest yourself in everything you do. There’s fun in being serious.

All a musician can do is to get closer to the source.

I’m into scales right now.

I want to be the force which is truly for good.

Damn the rules, it’s the feeling that counts.

Sometimes I wish I could walk up to my music as if for the first time, as if I had never heard it before. Being so inescapably a part of it, I’ll never know what the listener gets, what the listener feels, and that’s too bad.

When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people.

Jazz is a word they use to sell our music, but to me that word does not exist.