I look at the artistic process as like experiencing the world, channeling it through your personality and sending it back out there. That's the process.

Instrumental music is increasingly marginalized.

Instrumental music is increasingly marginalized and there's just no outlet, there's no venue for it, in terms of media.

Its all about finding the right note at the right place and knowing when to leave well enough alone. And that's a lifelong quest.

Music is just kind of an expression of who I am. It's what I do.

You never get it figured out. You just keep playing.

I tend to play in a way that feels natural to me. To me that's authentic for myself. I play by where I'm led by some sense of where I feel I'm supposed to be.

When I make records, I never listen to stuff after it's done. Ever.

Ninety-nine percent of the music that was of any interest to me when I was growing up came out of the black community.

To me, the object of practicing is to allow you to play what you hear. But you're always hearing new things, so you never get to the end of it.

I'll just sit at the piano a lot an play like through different chord exercises and kind of just throwing my hands down on the piano from one chord to the next to see what happens.

The first thing I did when I sold my book was buy a new wedding ring for my wife and asked her to marry me all over again.

We must not feel a childish disgust at the investigations of the meaner animals. For there is something marvelous in all natural things.

Folks, this is perfect weather for today's game. Not a breath of air.

I believe 0% is luck. I think you create your own luck, so I don't believe in luck.

People come to see the players. Nobody ever bought a ticket to see a manager.

Spirituality, as expounded by the great saints and sages of the past, is a very broad path. It accommodates all types of belief systems. You need to satisfy everyone.

Fear and I were old buddies, despite my best efforts to the contrary.

Do we live for or do we live off philanthropy?

Practice patience; it is the essence of praise. Have patience, for that is true worship. No other worship is worth as much. Have patience; patience is the key to all relief.

Maybe you'll get lucky." I said bleakly, lurching on my feet. "Maybe I'll get hit by a truck on my way back.