I Played In Rhumba Bands, Mickey Mouse

You Know, When I'm Playing, I Think Of Myself In Front Of The Wailing Wall With A Saxophone In My Hands, And I'm Davening, I'm Really Telling It To The Wall.

I Had A 10-year Heroin Habit And Kicked That. Then I Became An Alcoholic. I Drank Two Fifth's A Day.

I Came From An Era When We Didn't Use Electronic Instruments. The Bass Wasn't Even Amplified. The Sound Was The Sound You Got.

Switch To Piano! No. Really, If You Like An Instrument That Sings, Play The Saxophone. At Its Best It's Like The Human Voice. Of Course, It Would Be Best If You Could Actually Sing With Your Own Voice. The Saxophone Is An Imperfect Instrument, Especially The Tenor And Soprano, As Far As Intonation Goes. Therefore, The Challenge Is To Sing On An Imperfect Instrument Or 'voice' That Is Outside Of Your Body. I Love That Challenge And Have For Over Forty-five Years. As Far As Playing Jazz, No Other Art Form, Other Than Conversation, Can Give The Satisfaction Of Spontaneous Interaction.

I Appreciate Men Like Ben Webster And Coleman Hawkins Very Much.