“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.

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.

He’s no Bill Clinton!

I have a very modern way of thinking; the chef is there to lead the team and not just to sit behind the piano.

I was crawling around inside of her. She was a church pianist. My dad was a brilliant singer. I was hearing it.

I did a concert at five years old in the garden of one of the church members, and we raised some money to buy a new piano in our little church.

The public is like a piano. You just have to know what keys to poke.

I wanted to try to write songs on the piano to get a different flavor.

The piano has been drinking, not me.

I have looked to the Steinway piano since I was three, not only as my ideal choice of an instrument. But, as a responsive and ever reliable friend.

When I’m flying, I really like to listen to piano music. Something impressionistic, loud and beautiful.