I don't wanna talk about Teo [Macero]. He's a helluva musician, a brilliant musician, but he's just not for me, that's all. I can elaborate on it, but I don't want to do that.

I began to realize that some of the things Ornette Coleman had said about things being played three or fours ways, independently of each other, were true because Bach had also composed that way.

As long as I've been playing, they never say I done anything. They always say that some white guy did it.

If you sacrifice your art because of some woman, or some man, or for some color, or for some wealth, you can't be trusted.

Bebop didn't have the humanity of Duke Ellington. It didn't even have that recognizable thing. Bird and Diz were great, fantastic, challenging — but they weren't sweet.

I'm not messing around with nobody's woman. If I want a woman I go get her - you know what I mean?

I've used [drum machine] because I have to have the perfect tempo.