As my career has progressed, I've had the pleasure of playing with the baddest jazz cats on the planet. But that doesn't change my desire to entertain folks. That's really who I am.

Guitar gigs were everywhere in the '50s, and I started diddling around so I could keep working. Playing honky-tonk, simple stuff. I took a few gigs with an organ band that put me out front.

The less one remembers about the day before, the more the new day will be unfettered by triviality.

There is no finer guitarist than Kenny Burrell

I spent a lot of time teaching myself theory and harmony so I could be free to express myself on the instrument.

You might not feel like playing pretty all the time. Instead, you might want to play something nasty....you might want to play something out of context with the tune. It might be a note that creates so much tension it becomes unpleasant, but you want it to sound that way.

No matter what they take from me, they can't take away my dignity.