Some quotes from the man:

"'Swing' is an adjective or a verb, not a noun. All jazz musicians should swing. There is no such thing as a 'swing band' in music."

"I can't understand these guys who just have to have your autograph. I asked one of them 'What do you do when you get home, take it out and look at it?'"

"I was really running a music school back then, because my band wasn't making any money. I keep talking about money, because most people don't understand the part of money in running a band."

"No matter how carefully and assiduously and how deeply you bury shit, the American public will find it and buy it in large quantity, It's true, absolutely true."

"There's such a cynicism about the phrase 'I laughed all the way to the bank.' It's as though money is what you're doing, rather than playing music. If you're playing a money game, why not get into banking?"

"Somebody asked me once, 'Do you think that swing will ever come back?' And I said, 'Do you think the 1938 Form will ever come back?'"

"Dance music—as I keep saying, you can dance to a windshield wiper… a windshield wiper that's fairly steady gives you a beat and all you need is an out-of-tune playing 'Melancholy Baby' and you've got dance music."