A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality.

By giving the public a rich and full melody, distinctly arranged and well played, all the time creating new tone colors and patterns, I feel we have a better chance of being successful. I want a kick to my band, but I don't want the rhythm to hog the spotlight.

I thought I had swell ideas, and wonderful musicians, but the hell of it, no one else did.

We can speak our honest minds without compromise and without censorship and to each other and to our people. We can take our message directly to our people.

I haven't got a great jazz band and I don't want one. Some of the critics, Down Beat's among them, point their fingers at us and charge us with forsaking real jazz . . . It's all in what you define as 'real jazz.' It happens that to our ears harmony comes first. A dozen colored bands have a better beat than mine. Our band stresses harmony.

Why do you judge me as a musician, John? All I'm interested in is making money.

We didn't come here to set any fashions in music. We merely came to bring a much-needed touch of home to some lads who have been here a couple of years.

We leaders are criticized for a lot of things. It's always true after a band gets up there and is recognized by the public.