“Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, yet you’re my favorite work of art. Is your figure less than Greek, is your mouth a little weak? When you open it to speak, are you smart?”

It seems to me that most people are impressed with just three things: how fast you can play, how high you can play, and how loud you can play.

I soon became aware that there wasn’t enough time or opportunity to kiss all the girls in the world. The best thing is to stay cool – just be choosy and wait for the right opportunity.

In Europe they look upon jazz as art. In America it’s a diversion. Somebody opens a restaurant and installs another band off to the side. People don’t listen.

People said I’d never make 35, then I’d never make 40, 45; now I’m almost 50, so Im beginning to think maybe they might be wrong.

Artt Frank is my all-time favorite drummer. He always seems to know where I’m going.

I like to play in the deep register. I was never a high-note specialist. My range goes from the bottom of the horn up to around C or D. High D is about it for me, about two-and-a-half octaves, I think. But in these two-and-a-half octaves, I can say everything I have to say.

The drummer; he inspired me to play like no one else I have ever met.

It takes a pretty good drummer to be better than no drummer at all.