I'm just lucky to have the type of friends and musicians and people dedicated to my music that I do.

If you looked around, you'd be glad you couldn't see.

There's so much spirit of integration and democracy in jazz.

We created the spirituals. We created so much great music, jazz chief amongst our innovations, teaching us how to prize ourselves and how to speak to one another, that our kids don't know that achievement, there's no way in the world that could be good for us.

No particular music makes me feel nostalgic. If it's great, it just keeps me in the present moment. That level of music is like a classic story, like the Iliad-something so perfect it can never be old.

How great musicians demonstrate a mutual respect and trust on the bandstand can alter your outlook on the world and enrich every aspect of your life, understanding what it means to be a global citizen in the most modern sense.

And that's the soulful thing about playing: you offer something to somebody. You don't know if they'll like it, but you offer it.