I've performed solo for 20 years now, but I don't do much of it, because if you only play alone, you go crazy and out of tune and play foolish music.

I've been working on the soprano saxophone for 40 years, and the possibilities are astounding. It's up to you, the only limit is the imagination.

I started in New Orleans music and played all through the history of jazz.

If you listen to Louis Armstrong from 1929, you will never hear anything better than that really, and you will never hear anything more free than that.

When I came up, it was all about originality and collective research. There is an awful lot of imitation going on now.

In composition you have all the time you want to decide what to say in 15 seconds, in improvisation you have 15 seconds.

I still love the whole history of Jazz. The old things sound better than ever.