Charlie Parker

I realized by using the high notes of the chords as a melodic line, and by the right harmonic progression, I could play what I heard inside me. That’s when I was born.

Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn. They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art.

You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.

Don’t play the saxophone. Let it play you.

It’s not all smoke and mirrors. Some of it comes from books.

Once I could play what I heard inside me, that’s when I was born.

I got out of the car and there was a knife in my neck. The guy says, “Don’t move.” And the drummer got out of the car, and he got a gun in his head. This was my entrance to the South Side of Chicago. But it was necessary, because I wanted to play jazz.

It is Jazz’s very nature to change, to develop and adapt to the circumstances of its environment.

Ahhh – those Jazz guys are just makin’ that stuff up!

Let my children have music.

They’re singing your praises while stealing your phrases.

Everyone is working who should be.

Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.

I didn’t get my music together until I was 40.

My dark sound could be heard across a room clearer than somebody with a reedy sound. It had more projection. My sound always seemed to fill a room.

Start well and end well. The middle will look after itself.

I don’t dig staying in one groove.

My neighbors always listen to very hip Jazz… whether they like it or not.

A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted.

I kinda went back to that period between ’88 and ’94 where I felt like I was the most creative, without being hindered by powers that be. I was no longer going to try to hinder myself to what I thought was going to be on the radio.

If a Jazz musician plays someone else’s song, he has a responsibility to make a distinct and original statement.