I'm too busy playing. When I'm playing I don't pay attention to who's listening. When I was listening I listened to symphony orchestras, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky. You don't listen to one instrument; you listen to music.

I was always doing revolutionary things, things that would alert people, so they would stop being so subservient.

Life has many changes. Tomorrow it may rain, and it's supposed to be sunshine, 'cause it's summertime. But God's got a funny soul, he plays like Charlie Parker.

Tastes are created by the business interests. How else can you explain the popularity of Al Hirt?

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.

If someone has been escaping reality, I don't expect him to dig my music.

In my music, I'm trying to play the truth of what I am.