I figured I could do "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" because I believe it's the truth.
Etta JamesRead
Jazz took too much discipline. You have to come in at the right place, which is different than me singing the blues, where I can sing, 'Oh, baby,' if there's a pause in the melody. With jazz, you better leave that space open, or put in something real cool.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jazz requires precision and discipline compared to other forms of music.
Etta James emphasizes the structured nature of jazz music, highlighting that it demands precise timing and skills from musicians. Unlike more freeform styles like the blues, jazz requires a careful consideration of silence and space, along with the addition of cool improvisations to create a compelling performance.
Themes
JazzDisciplineMusicImprovisationPerformance
In practice
Example use cases
When discussing the intricacies of music theory in a classroom setting.
More from Etta James
All quotes →It's not about battling the original artists when I record these songs, it's about paying tribute to them.
Etta JamesRead
I wanna show that gospel, country, blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll are all just really one thing. Those are the American music and that is the American culture.
Etta JamesRead
The only time that I am really truly happy—when I feel at my best—is when I'm on the stage.
Etta JamesRead
When I'm singing the blues, I'm singing life.
Etta JamesRead
People always say 'Etta, you know what your problem is? You're neither fish nor fowl. There is no place to rack you.' When I would go in a record shop, you might find one or two records by me in different stacks.
Etta JamesRead
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When I go to a gig and I hear a song that I really like, a song that hits home to me or hits an emotional nerve, if I could ever recreate that for someone, that would be the ultimate goal.
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I grew up with the Grand Ole Opry, Dottie West, Conway Twitty, Buck Owens... not realizing it was influencing me as much as it was.
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In hindsight, if I could go back in time and relay a message to my younger self, I would tell him to work on his time keeping, and that the job of a drummer is not to be the one that gets noticed the most on stage, or to be the fastest, or the loudest. Above all, it is to be the timekeeper.
Taylor HawkinsRead
Just because you're not a drummer doesn't mean you don't have to keep time.
Thelonious MonkRead
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