He could very well be the Duke Ellington of Rock 'n' Roll. - Miles Davis

Coleman Hawkins told me never to play with someone older than me, and I never have. With older players, there's no force, no drive. With younger players, it's not that you know it all, or I know it all—it's I'm trying to learn it all.

The only thing I'm interested in is the music and the musicians. I don't acknowledge applause 'cause I'm giving them something. They're not giving me anything with their applause. Can I write that down?

But you've got to have style in whatever you do — writing, music, painting, fashion, boxing, anything.