I was unfashionable before anyone knew who I was.

Milton, of all people, gave the most perfect definition of the state of mind required to play jazz: ' with wanton heed and giddy cunning.' That's how you play jazz.

I'm glad [Ornette Coleman] is such an individualist. I like the firmness of thought and purpose that goes into what he's doing, even though I don't always like to listen to it. It's like living in a house where everything's painted red.

Not for me. If I want to tune everybody out, I just take off my glasses and enjoy the haze.

I was unfashionable before anyone knew who I was.

I discovered early in life that if you take gym first period, you can go into the wrestling room and sit in the corner and sleep.

We used to get on planes, and they'd ask who we were, and we'd say, 'The Dave Brubeck Quartet', and they'd say, 'Who?' In later years they'd say, 'Oh', which amounts to the same thing.