We had a great educator [in the school band], a man named Larry Laurenzano. He was tough, but we knew that he loved us. And that was the beginning of playing music with people and really being inspired and having fun and being in a community.

Everyone wants to do what the great ones do; but very few are willing to do what they did to become great

We listened [with my mother] to [Frank] Sinatra and Glen Campbell and we had some Beatles records that I liked. This was in the '70s.

Only through service and sacrifice can you become great.

Sometimes I say to my students, "We get to come and listen to our favorite recordings and try to learn from them and emulate that and hopefully we can inspire other people the way we've been inspired."

You can’t be a great leader if all you are serving is yourself.

Joe Henderson with Ron Carter and Al Foster at the Vanguard was just wow. And the energy of the three of them.