When you're dead, you're done.

You can't take it for granted. Even if we have two, three days off I still have to blow that horn a few hours to keep up the chops. I mean I've been playing 50 years, and that's what I've been doing in order to keep in that groove there.

I don't let my mouth say nothin' my head can't stand.

Never play anything the same way twice.

Not too slow, not too fast. Kind of like half-fast.

If ya ain't got it in ya, ya can't blow it out.

Unless you know what it is I ain't never going to be able to explain it to you.