Ludwig van Beethoven

Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.

To play without passion is inexcusable.

Actually, I think the more Ben [Taylor] sings, the less like James he sounds.

Jazz affirms the noblest aspirations of character, individual discipline, perseverance and innovation.

The piano ain’t got no wrong notes.

For me, the Les Paul is the greatest rock ‘n’ roll guitar of all time. If you’re not playing a Gibson guitar and you’re playing this kind of music, whether it’s punk, metal or anything grounded in rock ‘n’ roll, you’re not really doing it right. I don’t think professionally I’d every play anything else. Gibson, thank you for making greatest guitars ever.

The reason I write music is that I feel it’s a vehicle or channel which leads to your true self, your essence.

I think I love it more as I get older because I keep getting better on drums, vibes and piano.

I was always exposed to music. Mom and dad would have the radio on constantly.

What does music mean to you? What would you do without music?

If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.

Jazz isn’t a what, it’s a how.

I am an improviser, I improvise music. Whatever you want to call it, it’s all improvised music. I may capture it and go back and write it down for others, but it was originally improvised.

The more vulnerable and the more confused the song is, the equal and opposite effect is how I feel after having written it.

How are you going to know what’s new to play if you haven’t listened to everything that’s old?

It’s like an act of murder; you play with intent to commit something.

Blow your life through your horn.