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" I think I have a basic sound aesthetic that is in most of what I do. "

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" Somehow, trumpet is the reference point for me - it was actually my first instrument. "

" I don't worry too much about the fundamentalist principles that are in almost any discussion about jazz. "

" If we are going to list guitar influences, the biggest one by far is Wes Montgomery. Also, Gary Burton was obviously huge for me in a number of ways. But beyond that, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard. "

" I was able to work with the best musicians in Kansas City starting when I was really young. "

" The reality of music itself, which is the fabric of life for me, is where most of my attention is. "

" The guitar for me is a translation device. It's not a goal. And in some ways, jazz isn't a destination for me. For me, jazz is a vehicle that takes you to the true destination - a musical one that describes all kinds of stuff about the human condition and the way music works. "

" A lot of jazz artists think people should like what they're doing just because it's jazz. I don't buy that. "

" No two notes are ever the same volume. With the guitar, you really have to model in your mind this wider thing; you're trying to create the illusion of a bigger dynamic range. "

" When talking about writing, I often use the analogy of archaeology. There are these great tunes all around. Your skill as a musician allows you to pick them out without breaking them. "

" It's more about conception and touch and spirit and soul than whether my hardware was in place. "

" Someone who knew me when I was 14 said I was the oldest 14-year-old on the planet. Now I'm a 14-year-old who is 60. "

" Jazz is not something that can be defined through blunt instruments. It is much more poetic than that. "

" I didn't want there to be a computer on stage. When I see people with computers on stage, I think, 'Are you sending e-mail?' That's so corny. "

" From 1962 to 1965, the guitar became this icon of youth culture, thanks mostly to the Beatles. "

" Listening is the key to everything good in music. "

" My older brother Mike is an excellent trumpet player. By the time he was 12, he was playing around Kansas City in classical situations. He was already an amazing talent. "

" One of the things jazz has always excelled at is translating the reality of the times through its musical prism. "

" I can't really say enough about Chris Potter. He is one of the greatest musicians I have ever known, and every second I have been on the band stand with him has been an absolute pleasure. "

" 'The Unity Band' project has been life-changing for me. I have led many groups of talented musicians, but this is unlike anything else. "

" Whatever my recorded output is, it's a reflection of a general love of music. "

" I hate the way chorus boxes sound. "

" I love playing and working on music. It is something that I feel really lucky to be able to spend my life doing. And I don't sleep much! "

" I realized that equipment really had little to do with why I sound like the way I sound. "

" The pianist Cecil Taylor is extremely melodic; the guitarist Derek Bailey is extremely melodic, and Ornette Coleman. "

" People sometimes say it takes a long time to become a jazz fan, but for me it took about five seconds. "

" I saw A Hard Day's Night 12 or 13 times. "

" There are musicians who go through their lives sort of shedding their skins. For me, I've always felt backward-compatible to Version 1.0. "