Learn to play the piano, man, and then you can figure out crazy solos of your own.

There are a lot of great players... a lot of great players around, but Louie Bellson is really something special.

Everyone wants to put people on, I think. And get away with it! That's the thing: put people on and get away with it! That's a science in itself.

I try to play the bare essence, to let everything be just what it's supposed to be.

You can't steal a gift. Bird [Charlie Parker] gave the world his music, and if you can hear it you can have it.

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.

It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play.