I have no idea what I'm doin'. I've never seen me.

I went through the whole number, you know. The swing era, the boogie woogie era, the bebop era. Thelonious Monk is still one of my favorites. So a lot of these people had their effect on me.

All the classic jazz players all sang and a lot of 'em sang blues.

Everybody cryin' mercy / When they don't know the meaning of the word.

The things that really matter don't mix with idle chatter.

Ever since the world ended, I don't go out as much

I been getting good crowds. It only took 50 years.

I'm playin' music for a certain type of person. Fortunately, there are more and more of us. At least there are more comin' to see me than there were 30 years ago or so.

As far as I'm concerned, the essentials of jazz are: melodic improvisation, melodic invention, swing, and instrumental personality.

I never sit down and write. I just sorta let things form in my brain.

I haven't stopped and I don't plan on stoppin' any time soon.

There is do much sttuborn hope in a human heart.

Elia Kazan understood my problems. He was able to bring out the very best in me. He gave me credit for my intelligence.

I love what I do, and when you love what you do, you want to be the best at it.

No right can come by conquest, unless there were a right of making that conquest.

College is for finding yourself. I've established who I want to be.

Many artists in Mexico fight to be the Latina Madonna. I don't want that! Never! Maybe she's the American Gloria Trevi!

Pale death knocks with impartial foot at poor men's hovels and king's palaces.

We find the Works of Nature still more pleasant, the more they resemble those of art.

Hey, God made us sexual creatures. If he wanted teenagers to wait that long, he would have made puberty start at twenty-five.

When Roman Polanski did give you a "Great, great, great!" you were just like, "Thank you, Lord, for this magical moment."