Some days you get up and put the horn to your chops and it sounds pretty good and you win. Some days you try and nothing works and the horn wins. This goes on and on and then you die and the horn wins.

They're not particular whether you're playing a flat 5th or a ruptured 129th as long as they can dance.

I know all the Latin-American rhythms quite well, but I don't play them exactly like they do in their own country - I add my personal touch.

When I grow up I want to be just like Benny Carter!

Many critics always saw and heard that my style comes from Roy Eldridge, which is true. But for many things, not only how to play the trumpet but the way to choose the notes, how to play them and how to phrase all of them, I took that from Sweets [Edison]. He really brought something new to the trumpet.

Where there's no mutual respect, there's trouble!

There have been two great revelations in my life: The first was bepop, the second was homeopathy.