At least one day out of the year all musicans should just put their instruments down, and give thanks to Duke Ellington.

If you have a tone like mine that is recognizable. No matter what I play, when you hear my tone you can tell it's me.

Some of [drummers] drop time because they want to hear what you're doin'.

I put all those synthesizer sounds behind "Decoy" and "Code M.D." A lot of things we write together. A lot of things are his, but they don't have that thing I want on the bottom. I often tell him, I say, "Bobby [Irving], if there's a melody, there's another one somewhere that goes with it."

I've used [drum machine] because I have to have the perfect tempo.

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

It takes you years to learn how to play like yourself.