Life on the road is murder. It’s as though life begins and ends with your horn in your mouth.
Jazz is a music to be played and not to be intellectualized on.
In fact, I heard Bird first, and had got well into listening to him. You know, it’s the kind of accidental thing that awareness of a player is: what’s available, what somebody happens to play for you.
I’m fascinated with the electronic devices that we can mess around with.
What I came back to is that jazz is a music to be played and not to be intellectualized on.
It’s true I’ve always been attracted to the jazz band in an orchestral way, rather than a band way.
When I began listening to saxophones, I was first attracted to Coleman Hawkins.
Only the French, I guess, really use tenor and alto to any great extent in the orchestra.
In a way, I started out to be a baritone player.
I like what I hear other guys doing, but the thing that really attracts me is melodic playing.
If you’ve only got one horn playing, I still want the sense of ensemble.
You can make a saxophone into an electric organ; you can do everything with it.
Eliminating the piano means that I’ve always worked closer with the bass than most players.
Miles Davis is one who writes songs when he plays.
I’ve always wanted a C trumpet on top, to have that same kind of facility without shouting.
