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.

They always want to sell me as a hard bopper.

Dizzy used to tell me I'm playing too hard. He'd say to not give everything. Miles told me that too.

I used to try to play like [Miles Davis], and Miles caught me copying him one night at Birdland. He said, 'Hey man, why don't you play some of your own stuff.' So, I finally did, because I had copied all his solos.

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

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