I think the greatest sound in the world is the human voice.

Jazz is like blues with a shot of heroin!

I did Bronislaw Kaper's tune. He wrote "On Green Dolphin Street." I mean, I did all those ballads, all them ballads from South America. All those tunes - the guitar concerto on Sketches Of Spain. All those are Spanish melodies. Some of them we made up ourselves.

If you got up on the bandstand at Minton's and couldn't play, you were not only going to be embarrassed by the people ignoring you or booing you, you might get your ass kicked.

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

I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am one thing, a musician.

Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is.