We in the Western world suffer from too many categories and classes; we've forgotten that we all still have diapers on. We've separated music from life.
Ornette ColemanRead
Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jazz allows for creativity and improvisation, making each performance unique despite using the same notes.
Ornette Coleman highlights the essence of jazz music, emphasizing its improvisational nature. In jazz, musicians can repeat the same musical notes and themes, yet the way they express and interpret those notes can change with each performance, showcasing the creativity and individuality of the artists involved. This reflects the broader idea that art and expression are dynamic and can evolve with each rendition.
Themes
JazzMusicImprovisationCreativityArt
In practice
Example use cases
During a jazz festival, this quote could be used to explain the essence of jazz improvisation.
More from Ornette Coleman
All quotes →You don't have to worry about being a number one, number two, or number three. Numbers don't have anything to do with placement. Numbers only have something to do with repetition.
Ornette ColemanRead
You've got to realize. In the western world, regardless of what color you are, what title the music is, it's all played by the same notes.
Ornette ColemanRead
So, for instance, if you came to me, I'd ask, 'Do you want to write? Do you want to improvise? Why do you want to play this instrument? What do you want to do?'
Ornette ColemanRead
That's what I was trying to say when we were talking about sound. I think that every person, whether they play music or don't play music, has a sound - their own sound, that thing that you're talking about.
Ornette ColemanRead
It's just someone has labelled us as having a different label to do what you do. I find that labels are the worst thing in the world for artistic expression.
Ornette ColemanRead
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