We're travelling for about nine-and-a-half months a year.

Can anybody be given creativity? No. Only equipment to develop it if it's in them in the first place.

I always tell people, it took me 10 minutes and 35 years in the business. I get tired of playing it ["Lullaby of Birdland"], but not of collecting the royalties.

If you establish an identity, you build a monster-and thats right, youve got to live with it. Of course, you can enjoy it, too.

Perfect retention. I dont think I could do that-Ive never disciplined myself to do it.I suppose a lot of it is a question of discipline. Which improvisation is not.

When people ask me how is it I was a musician, I facetiously say that I'm a firm believer in reincarnation and in a previous life I was Johann Sebastian Bach's guide dog.

I don't like freedom jazz - I think it's void of roots and void of foundation.