I'm a musician and, just as the critics are hard on me, I'm hard on the critics.

If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.

Montreal was a very active jazz center until club owners started putting in strippers instead of music. Before long, there was nothing to hear.

The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you are playing with, and if you have any racial inhibitions, you wouldn't be able to do that.

It's the group sound that's important, even when you're playing a solo. You not only have to know your own instrument, you must know the others and how to back them up at all times. That's jazz.

Louie Bellson represents the epitome of musical talent. His ability to cover the whole musical spectrum from an elite percussionist to a very gifted composer and arranger never ceases to amaze me. I consider him one of the musical giants of our age.

I don't require lust, sex, or classic beauty; I require trust, respect, and honesty. All else builds from there.