The Saxophone Is Actually A Translation Of

I Cannot Play A Lie. I Have To Believe In What I Play Or It Won't Come Out.

It’s Like A Language. You Learn The Alphabet, Which Are The Scales. You Learn Sentences, Which Are The Chords. And Then You Talk Extemporaneously With The Horn. It’s A Wonderful Thing To Speak Extemporaneously, Which Is Something I’ve Never Gotten The Hang Of. But Musically I Love To Talk Just Off The Top Of My Head. And That’s What Jazz Music Is All About.

You Can Read All The Textbooks And Listen To All The Records, But You Have To Play With Musicians That Are Better Than You.

I Came From An Era When We Didn't Use Electronic Instruments. The Bass Wasn't Even Amplified. The Sound Was The Sound You Got.

There Are Four Qualities Essential To A Great Jazzman. They Are Taste, Courage, Individuality, And Irreverence.