A chord is just the name of a sound.

I'm only involved really right now with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the Brass Fantasy.

The music we play is kind of hard to explain. It's music that we really feel.

I always tell my students when you're going to be a jazz musician the first thing you've got to do is be a professional musician, and that means you have to feed yourself with the instrument.

We just can't go and try to turn the clock back, that's not happening anymore. You've got to figure something else out.

Jazz is so difficult. A lot of people think once they've learned these licks they can get up and play them for the rest of their life. But that's not being truthful to the music 'cause it's not developing. Cats you hear that don't make no mistakes? They ain't trying to do nothing. everything they hear is on the mark, but they've played it so many times... I've built a whole career out of making mistakes!

Jazz is neither specific repertoire, nor academic exercise... but a way of life.