A lot of the guys were like that - Oscar Pettiford - they just took me under their wing, and that's why I automatically help young people. I just love it, because they did that for me.

It's easy to get next to music theory, especially between your peers and music classes and so forth. You just pay attention. I had a good ear, so I realized that printed music was just about reminding you what to play.

Greatness occurs when your children love you, when your critics respect you and when you have peace of mind.

Billy Strayhorn wrote Multicolored Blue. Billy to me is the boss of the arrangers.

My grandmother had this high-tech security system - a rusty nail she used to lock the door.

I got a scholarship to Seattle University and I was writing arrangements for singers and everybody. But the music course was too dry and I really wanted to get away from home.

A lot of the guys were like that - Oscar Pettiford - they just took me under their wing, and that's why I automatically help young people. I just love it, because they did that for me.