I Been Getting Good Crowds.

If It's Worth Remembering, I'll Remember It. If Something Keeps Coming Back, If I Keep Thinking Of That Phrase, If I See Manifestations Of It At Different Times And Different Places, Then I Feel It's Worth Making A Song Out Of.

As Far As I'm Concerned, The Essentials Of Jazz Are: Melodic Improvisation, Melodic Invention, Swing, And Instrumental Personality.

[the Producer Told Me:] "we Can Try One More Record, And We'll See How That One Does." Those Records Never Did Anything. My Music Never Got Mentioned. My Color Got Mentioned.

I Start Out With Words, With The Idea, The Line. Then After I Get A Line Or Two, I Try To Find What Melodic Line Those Lines Would Be Suited To. As Soon As I Find The Form I Can Finish The Song In My Head.

I Never Thought I Was Playing Black Music. I Was Just Playing Music, The Stuff I Liked. I Sang Blues At Parties And Things When I Was A Kid.