At Verve, my bookkeeper would invariably say, 'Well, why do you want to put out Roy Eldridge?' Or 'Why do you want to put out Ben Webster? They don't sell.' And I'd say, 'Well, whether they sell or not, they're important, they should be recorded and they're what Verve stands for, so we don't have to discuss that any further.

I allowed artists to play for as long as they felt they could justifiably continue to create.

I don't think I will ever do any tours again in the United States. I rather think that that's over with.

My function at Verve was that of a genuine producer in artists and repertoire.

You’re probably smarter than you present yourself.

I made it easier for many artists to play in certain areas.

When I was doing jazz concerts in America, I would use the biggest names I could find.