Fue también pianista y compositor: son suyos temas como "Walkin' Shoes", "Line for Lyons", "Bark for Barksdale", "Nights at the Turntable", "Utter Chaos", "Soft Shoe", "Bernie's Tune", "Blueport", "Song for Strayhorn", "Song for an Unfinished Woman" y "I Never Was a Young Man".