Everybody ought to listen to Benny [Carter]. He's a whole musical education.

You have to be born with it. You can't even buy it. If you could buy it, they'd have it at the next Newport Festival.

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.

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

I'm out there doing the best that I can, My lip is cut and I'm still playing.

That was my gift . . . having the ability to put certain guys together that would create a chemistry and then letting them go; letting them play what they knew, and above it.

They [police] do me like that all the time! "What you work for?".