“At my age, I realize that my most precious possession is time, and I’ve got too much unfinished work to do to spend even a minute talking about myself.”

Get up from the piano … Oscar is in the house. Who wants to be at the piano when Oscar is there? Find something else to do.

In all honesty, I think I just played what I felt was right for me. And I think I would have done the same thing, even if I’d been born later, when Charlie Parker was influencing everybody. The truth is, I never gave it much thought. I just played what I had to play.

I didn’t know Charlie Parker well, but I spent some time with him, and he was articulate and well-spoken with a lot of curiosity about music and the world. But the only way he seems to be depicted is as a junkie. And that’s not the full picture.

He’s no Bill Clinton!

I believe that animals have been talking to human beings ever since we were all made and put into this world.

Whether it’s good talk or bad talk about me, as long as your talking and making me the center of your world, I win.

I don’t really hashtag things. Unless I’m talking to somebody and I’m being funny and I say something mean but then I’m like, Hashtag…something that’s funny. I like to only hashtag funny things, not real stuff.

When you’re making a critical decision, you have to understand how it’s going to be interpreted from all points of view. Not just your point of view, not just the person you’re talking to, but the people that aren’t in the room. Everybody else.

If you find yourself talking to the police, my advice is to stay calm but look guilty; it’s your safest bet.

For me, working in the fashion industry is about getting to meet the minds behind the brands. Sure, there are nice dinners, events and shows – even the occasional freebie – but the best part is getting to sit down with and talk to people that have done great things.

Many times I’ve gone on tours with Paul Anka. He would have someone sitting behind him to keep people from even talking to him. You were almost in a little restricted area there.

The talkers are rising above the thinkers.