I've always told the musicians in my band to play what they know and then play above that. Because then anything can happen, and that's where great art and music happens.

Lionel [Richie] said, "Yeah, I learned chords and stuff playin' against your albums."

Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.

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.

If you have to ask, you'll never know.

You have to know 400 notes that you can play, then pick the right four.

For me, music and life are all about style.