Jazz is democracy in music.

Jazz is not just 'Well, man, this is what I feel like playing.' It's a very structured thing that comes down from a tradition and requires a lot of thought and study.

it ain't as hard as picking cotton

We looked up to our father. He still is much greater than us.

The blues. It runs through all American music. Somebody bending the note. The other is the two-beat groove. It's in New Orleans music, it's in jazz, it's in country music, it's in gospel.

Many a revolution started with the actions of a few. Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. A few hanging together can lead a nation to change.

What I really have in my head, my imagination, my understanding of music, I never really get that out.

I believed in studying just because I knew education was a privilege. It was the discipline of study, to get into the habit of doing something that you don't want to do.

Through first-class education, a generation marches down the long uncertain road of the future with confidence.

There are forces all around you who wish to exploit division, rob you of your freedom, and tell you what to think. But young folks can rekindle the weary spirit of a slumbering nation.

The trick and the beauty of language is that it seems to order the whole universe, misleading us into believing that we live in sight of a rational space, a possible harmony.

Becoming me was the greatest creative project of my life.

All men are created equal, it is only men themselves who place themselves above equality.

I think we do have our true, original stories that work. I can tell you that 'The King's Speech,' which we did, became a worldwide smash because people loved the personal story.

Secrets are like pregnancies hereabouts. You can hide them for a while but then they will start screaming.

All production is for the purpose of ultimately satisfying a consumer.

A distributed system is one in which the failure of a computer you didn't even know existed can render your own computer unusable.

I love my comedy too much to bastardize it with bad romantic comedy.

I wouldn't approach the issue of judging in the way the president does. Judges can't rely on what's in their heart. It's not the heart that compels conclusions in cases. It's the law.

The saxophone is an imperfect instrument, especially the tenor and soprano, as far as intonation goes. The challenge is to sing on an imperfect instrument that is outside of your body.