If anybody was Mr. Jazz it was Louis Armstrong. He was the epitome of jazz and always will be. He is what I call an American standard, an American original.

If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!

You've got to find a way of saying it without saying it.

Self-discipline, as a virtue or an acquired asset, can be invaluable to anyone.

My biggest kick in music -playing or writing- is when I have a problem. Without a problem to solve, how much interest do you take in anything?

Now I can say loudly and openly what I have been saying to myself on my knees.

The problem of expressing the contributions that Benny Carter has made to popular music is so tremendous it completely fazes me, so extraordinary a musician is he.