Top 25 Quotes by Herbie Mann

My youngest son, who is now the drummer in my band, lives in Brooklyn. My oldest son is about to move out to California, and my daughters are both out of town.

One of the advantages of not having a record contract is that you can make your own mistakes, you don't need somebody else to organize them for you.

Why do you have to retire at 65? Why can't you start at 70? You know, like wine. Why can't music be that way? My new band, we're playing stuff that's never been done before.

Being stubborn has helped, being selfish is not a bad thing.

I always say, if you keep your head in the sand, you don't know where the kick's coming from.

For me Brazilian music is the perfect mix of melody and rhythm. It just bubbles rhythmically. If I had to pick just one music style to play if would be Brazilian.

If you want to play somebody's music, you'd better go into his house.

By the time I'm 90, I hope to have it together.

What I try to do is produce an atmosphere where musicians want to invest in what they do and give to the recording. I hire those musicians who I know will play something creative and interesting.

I had sat in one day in Central Park with Bonnie and Delaney, and Duane was playing with them, so I asked if he wanted to work on an album. You never had to say to him how to play the guitar.