"The only element of jazz that I keep is improvisation."

"If you feel you have the right key, you try to make some phrase or sound that will fit."

"When we are on tour we also take chances."

"There's a certain phraseology involved in jazz, and I've moved away from that."

"Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art."

"More people are reading poetry now than at any time in the history of the human race."

"Suddenly I've got an overwhelming desire to surround myself with the aura of classical and Romantic art."

"You see, what is my purpose of performance artist is to stage certain difficulties and stage the fear the primordial fear of pain, of dying, all of which we have in our lives, and then stage them in front of audience and go through them and tell the audience, 'I'm your mirror; if I can do this in my life, you can do it in yours.'"