My work has been marginalized as far as the jazz-business complex is concerned, or the contemporary-music complex.

Is jazz a rhythm, or is it a vibration?

Everybody in America is angry about something.

I am interested in the study of music and the discipline of music and the experience of music and music as a esoteric mechanism to continue my real intentions.

I have learned through time that not everyone is interested in the kinds of things that fascinate me.

The word music is a convenient way to talk about what I'm interested in, but actually, in some ways, it's a limitation.

I would find myself backing away from all of the 'isms,' all of the communities. I have always been able to be misused by every community But that is OK. I would rather be misused than neglected.

I thank the Creator of the universe to have discovered the discipline of music was the greatest gift that I could have been given, the possibility to be a student working in the world.

I am viewed as the Negro who has gone outside of the categories assigned to me.

I know I’m an African-American, and I know I play the saxophone, but I’m not a jazz musician. I’m not a classical musician, either. My music is like my life: It’s in between these areas.

So, yes, I am in the underground, but actually, it feels like home.

Peace and trust take years to build and seconds to shatter.

Evolution is not a genetically controlled distortion of one adult form into another

Filmmaking can be a fine art.

Depression leads him close to his wounds, but only the mourning for what he has missed, missed at the crucial time, can lead to real healing.

There's just a whole different attitude and vibe when you're not in power as when you're in power.

Cruel men believe in a cruel god and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly god, and they would be kindly in any case.

As the monkey climbs the tree, more people can see his bottom.

So many new ideas are at first strange and horrible though ultimately valuable that a very heavy responsibility rests upon those who would prevent their dissemination.

The ability to play with different people is infinitely fascinating to me.

I am weary of personal worrying, in love with the art of madness.