I don't dig that two-beat jive the New Orleans cats play. My boys and I have to have four heavy beats to the bar and no cheating.

I'll always remember when I first heard Lester [Young]. I'd never heard anyone like him before. He was a stylist with a different sound. A sound I'd never heard before or since. To be honest with you, I didn't much like it at first.

I was always willing to say, "Let's see what happens," when something came up that looked like it might help me get a little closer to where I wanted to be . . .

If you play a tune and a person don't tap their feet, don't play the tune.

If you find a note tonight that sounds good, play the same damn note every night!

I think the band can really swing when it swings easy, when it can just play along like you are cutting butter.

Oscar Peterson plays the best ivory box I've ever heard.