“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 took a few piano lessons as a kid, but it didn’t last; I just learned piano from doing it over and over on my own, because I didn’t have many friends, and there was always a keyboard in the house.

Got two kids; one’s a record producer who lives just up the road from me – great guitarist and piano player, too.

I still will sit down at the piano and play when I am wrestling with something emotionally or just want to move into the musical world.

Now, I only play very occasionally, and in fact, more piano than clarinet or sax.

I was much more interested in the orchestra than the piano.

I might as well get a piano and start an Elton John tribute act!

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.