I can't write anything for myself. I can write when I hear like [John] Coltrane play something; I used to write chords and stuff for him to play in one bar. I can write for other people, but I don't never write for myself.

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

In improvisation, there are no mistakes.

I gave the album [You're Under Arrest] to Quincy Jones and he loved "D Train". We couldn't call it "D Train"; it's called "MDI/Something's On Your Mind/MD2". That's on the album.

The way you change and help music is by tryin' to invent new ways to play

Don't be afraid of mistakes - There are none.

You ever hear Buddy Miles play the drums? You know, he doesn't vary the tempo at all.