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.

Those who want to know what sound goes into my music should come to NY and open their ears.

I always believed in being myself.

A genius is the one most like himself.

I don't know where jazz is going. Maybe it's going to hell. You can't make anything go anywhere. It just happens.

Whatever you think can’t be done, somebody will come along and do it. A genius is the one most like himself.

I didn't know there were 2 ten o'clocks in a day.