Anything you are shows up in your music - jazz is whatever you are, playing yourself, being yourself, letting your thoughts come through.
Mary Lou WilliamsRead
Many people forget that Jazz, no matter what form it takes, must come from the heart as well as the mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jazz should be an expression of both emotion and intellect.
Mary Lou Williams emphasizes that true jazz music is a blend of emotional expression and intellectual creativity. It should not be just a technical exercise; rather, it must resonate from oneβs heart while being informed by thoughtful understanding.
Themes
JazzMusicEmotionIntellectArt
In practice
Example use cases
During a music appreciation class, this quote could inspire students to explore deeper emotional connections in jazz.
More from Mary Lou Williams
All quotes βSimilar quotes
It's funny: Your relationship changes with a song over time. After a year or so, you're a different person, so your songs, you don't connect with them like you did.
HozierRead
The Official Bulletin declared that the Poles should be as proud of me as the Germans are of Mozart; obvious nonsense.
Frederic ChopinRead
Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.
Albert CollinsRead
That one record changed everything for me. After Sgt. Pepper, it's the most influential record in the history of rock and roll. It affected Pink Floyd deeply, deeply, deeply. Philosophically, other albums may have been more important, like Lennon's first solo album. But sonically, the way the record's constructed, I think Music from Big Pink is fundamental to everything that happened after it.
Roger WatersRead
It used to be called boogie-woogie, it used to be called blues, used to be called rhythm and blues...It's called rock now.
Chuck BerryRead
It's easy to get sidetracked with technology, and that is the danger, but ultimately you have to see what works with the music and what doesn't. In a lot of cases, less is more. In most cases, less is more.
Herbie HancockRead