If you make a suggestion and [musicians] don't know what you mean, you have to be able to do it yourself. I often sit down on drums and show 'em just exactly what I want. And I do it and then say, "How do you do that?" It's because I know how it looks, I know what I want to hear, and I don't drop or rush any tempo. It ain't in my body, it ain't in my nephew's body.

I'll play it first and figure out what it's called later.

Always listen for what you can leave out.

What's swinging in words? If a guy makes you pat your foot and if you feel it down your back, you don't have to ask anybody if that's good music or not. You can always feel it.

Knowledge is freedom and ignorance is slavery

The only way a drum machine will get out of beat is for you not to pay your electric bill.

Coltrane, you cant play everything at once!