My function at Verve was that of a genuine producer in artists and repertoire.

My juices needed restoring. I needed a sabbatical from the record business.

To play today in London, next week in Madrid and the week after that in Warsaw is a bit better than playing Newark and Baltimore and Philadelphia. I've been doing that for 20 years.

Amsterdam must have more than a million people. But the only area where jazz is really profitable and successful in an economic sense is in Japan. That's because they haven't been exposed enough.

Sponsors and networks will really go all out and simply evaluate people on the basis of talent.

Jazz is America's own. It is played and listened to by all peoples - in harmony together. Pigmentation differences have no place... as in genuine democracy, only performance counts.

If you don't get substantially what you want, be ready to walk. And don't look back.

There are very few groups that really stay together. The leaders of groups make enough money to be able to afford to work a maximum of 35-40 weeks a year.

If I were to put on Barbra Streisand and Duke Ellington, one might say the combination isn't good.

I don't say that the supposed Civil Rights development is a myth, but it's a matter of dealing with reality. It's purely peripheral and, in many cases, it's just a facade.

Germany is probably the richest country in Western Europe. Yet they wouldn't take any television with Duke and Ella, their reaction being that people weren't interested in it.

Never lose hope, and if you can, find the courage to love again.

When you're vested in fear, frightened of failure, yet in the surrender is where you find your success.

I can never understand someone by his strengths. Nothing is revealed there. I can only understand people by their weaknesses.

No one chooses which culture to be born into or can be blamed for how that culture evolved in past centuries.

You do your best work if you do a job that makes you happy.

There is a pair of snakes who have learned to drive a car so recklessly that they would run you over in the street and never stop to apologize.

I don't know what it would be like to actually play guitar. I've toured with a lot of comedians and it's never been like it is for a rock band.

I'll quit tanning when the satchel handle grows out of my back.

He who would preach powerfully must pray effectively.

Nothing in this world is at it seems. Except, possibly, porridge.