Excellence isn't an act, it's a habit

I used to practice piano for hours, and now, with a synthesizer, you can input the music and the machine perfects the song. That's why we have so many people in the music business who should be plumbers. They don't really understand music because they haven't been trained.

China's got a billion people and a hit record over there is a million records. You know that ain't right.

A person's age can be determined by the degree of pain he experiences when he comes in contact with a new idea.

Playing the game, and unfortunately, playing the gangster game is very profitable.

After every war, there was a significant change in the music, and I can understand how that happened. If you participate in protecting the country, you think you can be part of it, but you come back home and it's worse than ever.

I went with Lionel Hampton for three years. Out of that came a trip to Europe.