I can count on one hand the number of instrumental hits there have been over the last 10 years.

My brother had a big band in high school; after that we continued to play together, eventually forming a group called the Jazz Brothers, that recorded for Riverside Records.

Music is meant to be a beautiful thing.

I write music people enjoy playing and listening to, and I have a group that loves playing the music.

I tend to not want to put labels or categories on the music, only because people come with preconceived ideas about what they're going to hear, or won't come for this reason.

I was blessed to work with The Jazz Messengers when the two piano players were Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea.

A studio recording is perfection, but emotion and passion come only when you turn on the machine and go for the groove. If you do that with no mistakes, it sounds beautiful.

Whether it's string writing or whatever, I try to write for what each instrumentalist can do best.

I am glad that I wrote something that brought joy to millions of people.

1972 was a year of many pleasant and rewarding experiences for me

Brazilian music has many of the ingredients that I strive for in my own music: Strong melodies and a disciplined but intense rhythmic concept, and interesting harmonies.

Too bad people can't always be playing music, maybe then there wouldn't be any more wars.

Beauty takes courage. Courage itself takes courage.

But there are three things in this world you can’t shrug off: death, taxes – and a girl who loves you.

George Harrison is one of the sweetest, kindest and most considerate men I know.

Honest history is the weapon of freedom.

No poet or orator has ever existed who believed there was any better than himself.

I like Palestinians in the morning when they come and we talk but in the evening, who knows, maybe they don't know that I'm nice.

I want the same thing I've wanted since I was 7 years old. I want to be No. 1.

At the end of the day the question comes, what are you doing for the world? You have to try to do something that's going to add something positive.

Adulterers, take warning, never admit.