If you've got kids you know you've only got one prayer: "Let my kids outlive me." That's the bottom of everything.

I went to North Texas State, one of the great jazz schools. When I realized I wasn't going to be Miles Davis, I switched my major to English and theater.

It's not good to meet you heroes. The humanity in them or the a**hole in them will bring it down. And you don't want to do that.

I rarely do autograph shows. Maybe two or three a year. Just to keep my price up. Also I've got too much other stuff to do. I have to teach Renaissance art.

If you've got kids you know you've only got one prayer: "Let my kids outlive me." That's the bottom of everything.

I steer away from episodic TV; it burns you out.

Miles Davis, my one and only real hero of my life. I met him [because] every time I had a movie interview, I would shift the conversation to jazz. Miles, when I finally met him, he knew he had a sucker walking in the door. Because his people told him, “This guy plays the trumpet and every freakin’ interview he has ever given, he’s talked about you.”