If you don't know what to play, play nothing.

I never thought Jazz was meant to be a museum piece like other dead things once considered artistic.

Play what you know and then play above that

My father's rich, my momma's good looking. Right? And I can play the Blues. I've never suffered and don't intend to suffer.

In high school I was best in music class on the trumpet, but the prizes went to the boys with blue eyes. I made up my mind to outdo anybody white on my horn.

If you're going to drop behind, you have to keep it there.

I like Stan [Getz], because he has so much patience, the way he plays those melodies - other people can't get nothing out of a song, but he can, which takes a lot of imagination.