Monk taught me more about music composition than anyone else on 52nd Street.

I've always told the musicians in my band to play what they know and then play above that. Because then anything can happen, and that's where great art and music happens.

Sometimes, if you ask people to "go downstairs and get me this or that," they'll say, "It's rainin" or "It might rain," or "There's some bumpy roads on the road," or bla-bla-bla. They give you all those excuses, so when they do something which is easy, you're supposed to say, "Damn, you did that?"

Knowledge is freedom and ignorance is slavery

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.

It's not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.

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