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.

Learn the rules and then break them in such a way as to exercise good taste.

Teddy Wilson, I think, said a little while ago that its much easier to come in and play whatever comes into your mind, without obeying any of the laws of bass line and harmony and so on.

When Hank Jones had his night off, I would get somebody to take my place as intermission pianist and I'd play the show with Ella, so I would get a chance to play with Ray Brown and Charlie Smith as well.

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.

I haven't written an awful lot recently, but I think I probably will start again very shortly. Being so much on the road, when you have a couple of weeks off, you're likely to avoid sitting at the piano, and taping, and giving yourself more work to do.

You know, when you've established a certain thing, what can you do? You're stuck with it.