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.

All I wanted was to be big, to be in show business and to travel ... and that's what I've been doing all my life.

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

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 . . .

Of course, there are a lot of ways you can treat the blues, but it will still be the blues.

I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, 'Count Basie. Beware, the Count is Here.'