You have to be concerned with yourself because if you're not on it all the time, nobody else is going to be.

As much as I think John Coltrane belongs on the list, I think without Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, both of whom defined improvising on the tenor sax, there would not have been the evolution of the craft by John Coltrane.

My ego is controlled enough that I don't have to be the focus.

The music we're playing now is based on my heritage, which is Russian, Romanian and Hungarian.

My youngest son, who is now the drummer in my band, lives in Brooklyn. My oldest son is about to move out to California, and my daughters are both out of town.

Being selfish to me means that you have to look out for yourself and you don't have to sacrifice.

If you keep your head in the sand, you don't know where the kick's coming from.