They didn't dictate to me as to what kind of music that they wanted me to play or what tunes, what musicians that I was going to use. They let me do my thing. That's one reason I stayed there for twenty-eight years.
Horace SilverRead
Jazz is not background music. You must concentrate upon it in order to get the most of it. _x000D_ You must absorb most of it. The harmonies within the music can relax, soothe, relax, and uplift the _x000D_ mind when you concentrate upon and absorb it. Jazz music stimulates the minds and uplifts the souls _x000D_ of those who play it was well as of those who listen to immerse themselves in it. As the mind is _x000D_ stimulated and the soul uplifted, this is eventually reflected in the body.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jazz requires deep appreciation and concentration to be fully enjoyed and understood.
This quote emphasizes that jazz music is not merely a background filler but a rich and engaging art form that demands attention and focus. Through deep listening and immersion, one can experience the stimulating harmonies of jazz, which not only elevate the mind and soul but also positively influence the physical experience of the listener.
Themes
JazzMusicConcentrationUpliftingArt
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a jazz festival to highlight the importance of appreciating music.
More from Horace Silver
All quotes →I've found in composing that being simple and profound—having in-depthness in your music—is the most difficult thing to do. Anybody can write a whole lot of notes, which may or may not say something . . . But why make it complicated for the musicians to play? Why make it difficult for the listeners to hear?
Horace SilverRead
Similar quotes
To be naked is to be oneself. To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself. A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become a nude. (The sight of it as an object stimulates the use of it as an object.) Nakedness reveals itself. Nudity is placed on display. To be naked is to be without disguises.
John BergerRead
Why not invest in the future of music, instead of building fortresses to preserve its past?
David ByrneRead
The radio is playing jazz, and I listen to the sound of the trumpet playing a solo until I become that sound.
Joy HarjoRead
To a degree, the Greek and Roman mythological heroes are just the first superheroes. They appeal to children for much the same reason. These gods and heroes may have powers, but they get angry and they do the wrong thing. They are human too.
Rick RiordanRead
Music is never stationary; successive forms and styles are only like so many resting-places - like tents pitched and taken down again on the road to the Ideal.
Franz LisztRead
Be natural my children. For the writer that is natural has fulfilled all the rules of art.
Charles DickensRead