I quit drinking, so I can think clear. When you have chop trouble, drinking doesn't help the healing process.

We all kind of grew up together with Art Blakey because we all were young and he gave us a chance to write. We had to write something that was good and to sit up with a great guy like Art Blakey and watch him.

I quit drinking, so I can think clear. When you have chop trouble, drinking doesn't help the healing process.

Man, you'd be surprised how much I'm learning - not only about myself, but about the musicians who came before me. You don't realize at first when you listen to Armstrong's records how great this man was and how hard that Hot Five music was to play. After the experience of reading and playing those parts, I have an even greater respect for Louis Armstrong than before

When I got started in New York, if you were different from Miles & Dizzy it was very difficult.

Well, my sister played trumpet. Can you imagine having a sister blowing the trumpet around the house, Fred? And my brother, he played piano. Everybody was playing some kind of music, so it was natural for me to get into it.

I advise all the young kids to not overwork. You can't be out there blowing hard. You have to pace yourself.