If Charlie Parker were a Gunslinger, There'd be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats

I always wanted to be a spontaneous composer.

If you think this is weird, just look at yourselves.

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.

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

In high school I was on the basketball team, but the coach did something I didn't dig and the next day he looked up and saw me practising with the football team.

Anybody can make the simple complecated. Creativity is making the complecated simple.