You blows who you is.

You either have it or you don't. You play your horn just like you sing a song or a hymn. If it's in your heart, you express yourself in the tune.

The way they are treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell!

Love is talkative passion.

There's only two ways to sum up music; either it's good or it's bad. If it's good you don't mess about it, you just enjoy it.

At first it was just a misdemeanor, but then you lost the "mis-de" and you just got meaner and meaner.

I don't get involved in politics. I just blow my horn.

When you're dead, you're done.

If you don't understand it, don't mess with it.

You blows who you is.

You've got to be good or as bad as the devil.

There are Two Secrets to Success: 1. Don't tell ANYONE Everything you know 2.If you have to ask what Jazz is, you'll never know.

Never play anything the same way twice.

You got to love to be able to play

All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song.

I don't need words. It's all in the phrasing.

We all do 'do, re, mi,' but you have got to find the other notes yourself.

If it hadn't been for Jazz, there wouldn't be no rock and roll.

If ya ain't got it in ya, ya can't blow it out.