A lot of musicians have a tough time hearing what we're doing in a trio format.

The way to learn the language is to rip off other players. As Benny Golson told me, "We all start off sounding like other cats. And gradually, a lick here or there,we start to sound like ourselves. But it takes a long time to do so..." That'swhat he told me, and it worked for me.

We all played bad before we played good.

We have something that is unique. We have our craft. We have our art. We have our desire.

Everybody talks about finding your voice. Do your homework and your voice will find you.

You don't know what you like, you like what you know. In order to know what you like, you have to know everything.

It's hard to get into Newsweek because, as more of our former intellectual magazines take on a pop focus, if there's no buzz, there's no interest.