Quotes on Playing Jazz

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.

I started off with classical music, and I got into jazz when I was about 14 years old. And I've been playing jazz ever since.

Don't play what's there, play what's not there.

Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.

If you find a note tonight that sounds good, play the same damn note every night!

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.

To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt, and that's not what I play. I play black classical music.

Jazz is what I play for a living.

Never play anything the same way twice.

Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one.

Master your instrument. Master the music. And then forget all that bullshit and just play.

When I die, I want them to play The Black and Crazy Blues, I want to be cremated, put in a bag of pot and I want beautiful people to smoke me and hope they got something out of it.

Some people try to get very philosophical and cerebral about what they're trying to say with jazz. You don't need any prologues, you just play. If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.

Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time.