I like any and all of my associations with music: writing, playing, and listening. We write and play from our perspective, and the audience listens from its perspective. If and when we agree, I am lucky.

Music, of course, is what I hear and something that I more or less live by. It's not an occupation or profession, it's a compulsion.

I don’t believe in categories of any kind, and when you speak of problems between blacks and whites in the U.S.A. you are referring to categories again.

Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one.

Selfishness can be a virtue. Selfishness is essential to survival, and without survival we cannot protect those whom we love more than ourselves.

It's like an act of murder - you play with intent to commit something.

Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.