My philosophy is that the people around us are there doing as much work if not more work behind the scenes and they're the last people you would ever be unkind to, so I hope I'm not a diva off stage.

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.

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.

... vampires are like gourmet chocolate - oh, so tempting, but overindulgence is a killer.

The fear of dogs is deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man.

A real salesman knows how to engage Anyone Anywhere Anytime in a sensible conversation.

None of us can estimate what we do when we do it from instinct.

I hate it when you answer a question with a question." "No you dont, you think its charming.

I'm really open to doing music. We just have to figure out what kind of music it's going to be - something where I don't feel compromised.

It's not pleasant when you lose your whole football team.

Everything, virtue, glory, honor, things human and divine, all are slaves to riches.

The breath of liberty is sweet.