I played in rhumba bands, mickey mouse bands; all kinds of bands.

I learn something new every day - to edit, to take out all the extraneous matter and stress form, logic, and content. I try to play beautiful music.

I practiced saxophone eight hours a day for the first two years I played.

Records used to be documents, but now record companies want product.

People think that I play effortlessly. I remember doing a record date with Bill Evans and afterwards he said to me, you make it sound so easy but when I get right up next to you you're working hard and making it sound easy!

I never consciously tried to conceive of what my sound should be...I never tried to imitate anybody, but when you love somebody's music, you're influenced...I really don't know how I developed my sound, but it comes from a combination of my musical conception and no doubt the basic shape of the oral cavity.

I never have any trouble playing anything I can think of. The trouble is in thinking of what to play.