As a musician you have to keep one foot back in the past and have one foot forward into the future.

I don't care much about music. What I like is sounds.

Men have died for this music. You can't get more serious than that.

It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play.

One of the reasons we're here is to be a part of this process of exchange.

You can't steal a gift. Bird [Charlie Parker] gave the world his music, and if you can hear it you can have it.

I try to play the bare essence, to let everything be just what it's supposed to be.

The sign of a mature musician is knowing what not to play.

There have been two great revelations in my life: The first was bepop, the second was homeopathy.

Where there's no mutual respect, there's trouble!

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your magnificent indifference.

My Message is already out, what has left is to go and to do your part of the work.

Charlotte’s dirty dishes haunted her dreams that night. She was running down a dark tunnel and close behind her plates, cups, bowls and crumbs made threatening noises.

Toward the person who has died we adopt a special attitude: something like admiration for someone who has accomplished a very difficult task.

It never really occurred to me to believe in God.

There's a power that movies and music has, that can move you and motivate you to look at your neighbor in a slightly more respectful way, and look at cultures in a more inclusive way.

I'll always protect what I'm working on. Which is why more and more of it is stuff only I can ruin.

Aren't you afraid?' 'Of what?' 'Of losing yourself.' 'That's what I'm hoping for.

My biggest excuse to others and myself was that I had writer's block, as if it was some kind of illness.

I can’t remem­ber who said it, but a soul and a heaven must exist because good peo­ple aren’t rewarded enough on Earth. I always liked that idea, if that makes sense.

Bands-- enough with the crayon face-paint-- you're better than that.