I've been able to do pretty well. I don't work as many consecutive nights as I used to, but I'm still working over 100 nights a year, so that's good for me.

I went through the whole number, you know. The swing era, the boogie woogie era, the bebop era. Thelonious Monk is still one of my favorites. So a lot of these people had their effect on me.

All the classic jazz players all sang and a lot of 'em sang blues.

Everybody cryin' mercy / When they don't know the meaning of the word.

The things that really matter don't mix with idle chatter.

Ever since the world ended, I don't go out as much

I have no idea what I'm doin'. I've never seen me.

I been getting good crowds. It only took 50 years.

I'm playin' music for a certain type of person. Fortunately, there are more and more of us. At least there are more comin' to see me than there were 30 years ago or so.

As far as I'm concerned, the essentials of jazz are: melodic improvisation, melodic invention, swing, and instrumental personality.

I never sit down and write. I just sorta let things form in my brain.

Some conjurers say that number three is the magic number, and some say number seven. It's neither my friend, neither. It's number one. (Fagin)

Want to give a very strong energy to someone with a simple act? Then, smile!

Comedy is tragedy that happens to other people.

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing it's when you've had everything to do and you've done it.

But the vain man did not hear him. Vain men never hear anything but praise.

Depriving yourself will, ironically enough, lead to rebelling and weight gain.

If I fall out, pull this ring? What happens then? I sprout wings and fly?" -Spader in "The Never War

War is the supreme failure of bridging the differences between nations.

Whatever it was that I felt was the weak link in my previous project gave me inspiration for the next one.

I'm into politics - I'm interested in the election and how pissed off people get.