People have taken time out of their day and spent their money to come sit down at a concert. And it's jazz music-it's not easy for them to get to it. I don't want them ever to feel that I'm taking their presence lightly.

Ethics are more important than laws. Which means that the exact note is less important than the feeling of the note.

Even in these times, there are still neighbors that will turn their backs on neighbors.

When I first came to New York everybody on the scene would treat me like I could play but I couldn't.

Don't bullshit' just play.

The black hole in democracy is integrity. The great unspoken is integrity. When integrity is not first and foremost, it's quite palpable but not visible. It's always there. Jazz highlights it because musicians and jazz always represented a high level of integrity.

The Duke and Swing represent affirmation in the face of adversity.