My daddy expected that my brothers and I and our generation would make the world a better place. He had lived in an America of continual social progress.

If you're not making mistakes, you're not trying.

We started to confuse entertainment with art, because art has a component of entertainment. It has to have that or it becomes too boring. It becomes too lost in its own devices. But I just think that we started to lose, and even before that, it's not necessary.

Certain music, jazz in particular, has the ability to make you a better citizen of the world. It helps you expand your world view and gives you more confidence in your cultural achievements. Improvisational jazz teaches you about yourself while the swing in jazz teaches you how to work with others

The real power of Jazz is that a group of people can come together and create improvised art and negotiate their agendas... and that negotiation is the art

There's always the cliche of the choir shouting and clapping. OK, you have to do that, but there's also introspective parts, parts where you just follow someone that's preaching. There's lots of different emotions and moods that a service requires.

Thank the good Lord for a job.