One of the things that I loved about listening to Miles Davis is that Miles always had an instinct for which musicians were great for what situations. He could always pick a band, and that was the thing that separated him from everybody else.

You know, being America, being the land of "number ones", everyone wants to be a leader before they follow.

The biggest problem with American music right now, is that kids don't listen. They come by it honestly, Americans don't listen anyway. When people go to concerts, they say I'm going to see... not, I'm going to hear.

If I were like a lot of other people, then it wouldn't be fun; but since I'm like me, it's okay.

Walter Beasley is an anomaly: a successful performing musician who possesses the rare skill of understanding the musical process beyond the intuitive. This special ability enables Walter to communicate with aspiring musicians in a way that removes the sense of mystery that sometimes enshrouds our profession.

So much of Jazz doesn't have an audience other than music students or musicians.

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