I am so envious of my colleagues from 100 years ago who only sang new works, they hardly ever sang revivals.

When a human being without amplification makes a sound that is high and loud, it is almost unworldly.

Certainly, jazz has become more of a niche, which is surprising, because it's our music. It's the national music of America.

We are unique, each human voice, not because we are completely self-generated, but because of who we choose to assemble the countless factors that made us.

We sing with the entire body. The sounds that we make emanate not just from the head, but from the whole heart and soul, and, most important, the gut.

I don't want to be somebody who stands still and sings pretty. Each song is a world. Each song is a story. I don't achieve nearly what I want.

Everybody's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. I mean, I've never arrived. I'm still learning all the time.

There's no performance where I never have to think about setting up a phrase or making a technical adjustment while I'm performing.

Someone once said that there are probably seven naturally good singing days in a year-and those are days you won't be booked. What we must learn is how to sing through all the other days.

It is our responsibility to learn how to speak to an audience that is less informed about music, to give it a reason to want to come and see us instead of going to the movies.

I don't want to record anything unless it can be great and genuinely interesting.

Life is love.

All are at war with the one who wars against self.

Human rights takes history out of justice.

They say that these are not the best of times, but they're the only times I've ever known.

Everybody should customize their names.

Life is made up of constant calls to action, and we seldom have time for more than hastily contrived answers.

I don't do it often, but I do cry. I also laugh a lot; people tell me I'm funny and I do like to laugh.

Basically, unless you're willing to write down debts and save the economy, you're going to have deflation and a steady drain in purchasing power - that is, shrinking markets.

To make America great is about, hey, this country's in trouble. By doing things the old-fashioned way, I'm going to bring in people, deal-makers, who know how to change things dramatically.

Let other people finish their sentences when they’re talking.