Coltrane came to New Orleans one day and he was talking about the jazz scene. And Coltrane mentions that the problem with jazz was that there were too few groups.

That's kind of like how jazz is sometimes. You're out there predicting the future, and no one believes you.

When you're dealing with music without words, titles are more a means of identification than anything else. What's the point of getting lofty?

One of the things that's clear to me from interviews that I've read is that the more popular successful jazz musicians had audiences above and beyond the music community.

Pop doesn't really look back. It can't. What makes pop work is simplicity.

You don't know what you like, you like what you know. In order to know what you like, you have to know everything.

What is jazz? It, It's almost like asking, What is French? Jazz is a musical language. It's a musical dialect that actually embodies the spirit of America.

I'm not going to play funk licks on a jazz album. That makes no sense.

A lot of musicians have a tough time hearing what we're doing in a trio format.

I think that if you keep banging at the door all you need is a little foothold, a little tiny foothold, and then the rest will take care of itself.

So much of Jazz doesn't have an audience other than music students or musicians.

You are hiding something from me, I say and Sidney Grice shakes his head. 'No, ' he tells me quietly. 'I am hiding a great many things'.

Indifference to one's own faith is no proof of tolerance. Loyalty to one's own is part of a larger loyalty to faith generally.

At this age, I should be leading a quiet life.

When you laugh with good-hearted innocence at your own creations, you are free.

One side of the street is a Church; across the road is a liquor store. Both of 'em keepin us poor.

Its a very good feeling to be around a man who thinks women are juicy.

I've never really tried to copy anyone, I like to have my own style.

Salt is born of the purest parents: the sun and the sea.

You want me to be all doom and gloom, or just shut up?

Being brave doesn’t mean we have no fear - it means we refuse to be overcome by it.