I am Charles Mingus, half black man, not even white enough to pass for nothing but black. I am Charles Mingus, a famed jazzman, but not famed enough to make a living in this society.
Charles MingusRead
Just because I'm playing jazz I don't forget about me. I play or write me, the way I feel, through jazz, or whatever.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-expression and authenticity in jazz, and in creativity overall.
Charles Mingus expresses the idea that while he is engaged in playing jazz, he remains true to himself and his own feelings. He uses jazz as a medium to convey his personal experiences and emotions, highlighting the deep connection between identity and artistic expression. For Mingus, jazz is not just a genre; it is a personal voice that communicates who he is.
Themes
Self-ExpressionJazzAuthenticityCreativityIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a jazz concert to inspire musicians to stay true to themselves.
More from Charles Mingus
All quotes βJazz music is a language of the emotions.
Charles MingusRead
Let my children have music! Let them hear live music.
Charles MingusRead
My music is evidence of my soul's will to live.
Charles MingusRead
I never heard my music played the way I heard it in my head.
Charles MingusRead
It (jazz) isn't like it used to be. The guys aren't together. They're all separated. Individuals now. Bird was a symbol. It was a clique, a clique of people. Who all believed in one thing: gettin' high. And playin'.
Charles MingusRead
Similar quotes
Musicians are often asked to answer for an entire culture, or for an entire movement. It's a process of commodification. It becomes packaged and summarized in a word like 'emo' or 'grunge'... or 'folk music.' I think that's just language itself, trying to understand the mysteries of the world.
Sufjan StevensRead
A composer is not only an architect but also an inventor, and he should not build houses in which he cannot live.
Igor StravinskyRead
I put it [picture "A still life of a pear" by Edouard Manet] there [on the wall, next to the picture "Jupiter and Thetis" by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres], for a pear like that would overthrow any god.
Edgar DegasRead
A drawing is essentially a private work, related only to the artist's own needs; a 'finished' statue or canvas is essentially a public, presented work - related far more directly to the demands of communication.
John BergerRead
I'd like to get something together - like a Handel, Bach, Muddy waters, flamenco type of thing. If I could get that sound, I'd be happy
Jimi HendrixRead
Cinema is not a series of abstract ideas, but rather the phrasing of moments.
Jean-Luc GodardRead