[Phil Wood] was a great artist, and he knew things. He could be mildly conversant in several languages.

Leadership is not just about what you do but what you can inspire, encourage and empower others to do.

I never really had a classical saxophone set-up. I just had a middle of the road set up.

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

Failure is not meant to be final and fatal.... It is meant to refine you to be all that you are meant to be.

I did do an off-Broadway show for about 15 months. '91 and '92. It was nice to have a steady paycheck for a while. It was Oliver Jackson and Earl May, Art Barron and myself were the house band. I was 24 and 25 at the time.

Hearing Phil [wood] a lot, those few years especially when I was going to hear music and Tom Harrell was in the band. Man that was incredible. Hearing Tom at that period, and hearing Phil in that period, and also [Charles] McPherson. Those three guys were very impactful. Very inspiring to me at the time.