Jazz is my adventure.

When I was a kid, some of the guys would try to get me to hate white people for what they've been doing to Negroes, and for a while I tried real hard. But every time I got to hating them, some white guy would come along and mess the whole thing up.

If you really understand the meaning of be-bop, you understand the meaning of freedom.

It can't be any new note. When you look at the keyboard, all the notes are there already. But if you mean a note enough, it will sound different. You got to pick the notes you really mean!

Don't play everything (or every time); let some things go by... What you don't play can be more important than what you do.

Everybody in all countries tries to play jazz.

After two takes you're imitating yourself.