It's like, how did Columbus discover America when the Indians were already here? What kind of s-- is that, but white people's s--?

Bebop didn't have the humanity of Duke Ellington. It didn't even have that recognizable thing. Bird and Diz were great, fantastic, challenging — but they weren't sweet.

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

It's like swimmin' without warmin' up, yuo know what I mean? So [cackles] we use the drum machine, and we take it out.

The only way a drum machine will get out of beat is for you not to pay your electric bill.

Certain drummers drop time, and I like to play on top of the beat.

The music has gotten thick. Guys give me tunes and they're full of chords. I can't play them...I think a movement in jazz is beginning away from the conventional string of chords, and a return to emphasis on melodic rather than harmonic variation. There will be fewer chords but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them.