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.
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'.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mingus reflects on the changes in jazz, lamenting the loss of unity among musicians.
In this quote, Charles Mingus conveys a sense of nostalgia for the past camaraderie among jazz musicians, contrasting it with the modern landscape where individualism prevails over collective creativity. He identifies Bird (Charlie Parker) as a symbol of a once-tight-knit community of artists who shared a common passion for music and a lifestyle, highlighting the importance of collaboration and shared beliefs in the essence of jazz.
Themes
JazzUnityIndividualismMusicCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
A discussion on the evolution of jazz music during a music history class.
More from Charles Mingus
All quotes →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
Jazz music is a language of the emotions.
Charles MingusRead
Let my children have music! Let them hear live music.
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My music is evidence of my soul's will to live.
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I never heard my music played the way I heard it in my head.
Charles MingusRead
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