I don't like to make fluffy little songs, but now I want to make some light songs.

But now it's just another show, you leave em laughing when you go. And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

Not to dismiss Gershwin, but Gershwin is the chip; Ellington was the block.

At the point where I'm trying to force something and it's not happening, and I'm getting frustrated with, say, writing a poem, I can go and pick up the brushes and start painting. At the point where the painting seems to not be going anywhere, I go and pick up the guitar.

People were very protective of me. Overly so. I was in the industry for a long time before I had any idea of what drugs people were doing.

It's in my stars to invent; I was born on Madame Curie's birthday. I have this need for originals, for innovation. That's why I like Charlie Parker.

I thrive on change. That's probably why my chord changes are weird, because chords depict emotions. They'll be going along on one key and I'll drop off a cliff, and suddenly they will go into a whole other key signature. That will drive some people crazy, but that's how my life is.