Herbie Hancock

It’s not the style that motivates me, as much as an attitude of openness that I have when I go into a project.

Jazz has borrowed from other genres of music and also has lent itself to other genres of music.

I think there’s a great beauty to having problems. That’s one of the ways we learn.

Creativity shouldn’t be following radio; it should be the other way around.

I try to practice with my life.

Life is not about finding our limitations, it’s about finding our infinity.

You usually can’t tell what’s inspiring until you look back on it.

Oh, my darling, it’s incredible, that someone so unforgettable should think I am unforgettable, too.

I have younger friends who don’t work and they aren’t doing so well. My secret is to keep going, keep working.

When Jazz broke through in England, I remember sneaking to listen on the radio much to my parent’s disapproval.

Jazz music today is from the head and not the heart.

I’ve never thought the blues was a matter of copying other people. The blues singer should sing songs about his own life. And once the ball got rolling, I felt confident enough to do that as well as cover other people’s songs, and the tributes. You’ve got to think about representing your own life in the music, and for me that meant bringing in an element of jazz; I was brought up on jazz, it was my father’s work, it was in the house.

Jazz isn’t the kind of music you’re going to learn in 3 or 4 years or get because you have talent for music.

It angers me how scholars associate the blues strictly with tragedy.

I work very hard at being the best musician I can be because I love it.

Musicians have the intimacy of bringing two people together and the aesthetic, romantic transference.

Sometimes it’s to your advantage for people to think you’re crazy.

I was a nerd academically. But I was also an athlete and a musician. I never wanted to be shut out of any situation. I think it was that more than anything.

Creativity and artistic endeavors have a mission far beyond just making music for the sake of music.

I don’t compose. I assemble materials.

In my music, I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is because I’m changing all the time.