Herbie Mann

Why do you have to retire at 65? Why can't you start at 70? You know, like wine. Why can't music be…

— Herbie Mann

My ego is controlled enough that I don't have to be the focus.

— Herbie Mann

As much as I think John Coltrane belongs on the list, I think without Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, both of whom…

— Herbie Mann

Think about it: Look at the strides of awareness and treatment and tests that women have had with breast cancer, that the…

— Herbie Mann

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

— Herbie Mann

One of the advantages of not having a record contract is that you can make your own mistakes, you don't need somebody…

— Herbie Mann

For me Brazilian music is the perfect mix of melody and rhythm. It just bubbles rhythmically. If I had to pick just…

— Herbie Mann

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

— Herbie Mann

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

— Herbie Mann

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

— Herbie Mann

The music we're playing now is based on my heritage, which is Russian, Romanian and Hungarian.

— Herbie Mann

I recently formed a foundation to raise awareness for prostate cancer. I feel it's very necessary that men be more aware about…

— Herbie Mann

You have to be concerned with yourself because if you're not on it all the time, nobody else is going to be.

— Herbie Mann

To most jazz critics I was basically Kenny G.

— Herbie Mann

Music allows the great opportunity to play with people who turned you on and you love.

— Herbie Mann

But when I first got cancer, after the initial shock and the fear and paranoia and crying and all that goes with…

— Herbie Mann

My father's father came from Russia; my mother came from Romania.

— Herbie Mann

Let's say you have some chicken stock and you're making soup, and out of everything you can taste, some of the things…

— Herbie Mann

What I try to do is produce an atmosphere where musicians want to invest in what they do and give to the…

— Herbie Mann

If you keep your head in the sand, you don't know where the kick's coming from.

— Herbie Mann

I had sat in one day in Central Park with Bonnie and Delaney, and Duane was playing with them, so I asked…

— Herbie Mann

Music allows the great opportunity to play with people you love.

— Herbie Mann

My youngest son, who is now the drummer in my band, lives in Brooklyn. My oldest son is about to move out…

— Herbie Mann

The reality is that what you find out is that your head is the medicine. If your head is not in the…

— Herbie Mann

You don't have to live the blues to play the blues.

— Herbie Mann