Herbie Hancock

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

Jazz translates the moment into a sense of inspiration for not only the musicians but for the listeners.

I’m always looking to create new avenues or new visions of music.

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

But I have to be careful not to let the world dazzle me so much that I forget that I’m a husband and a father.

Music is the tool to express life – and all that makes a difference.

I want the music to connect to people; reach people every time I perform.

Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.

And ultimately the people who produce my records, they know that they’re here to serve the purpose of me expressing who I am at this period of time and augmenting that or pulling it forward and I love that process.

When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.

I realized by using the high notes of the chords as a melodic line, and by the right harmonic progression, I could play what I heard inside me. That’s when I was born.

There’s two things you can’t live without. Water and music.

There’s a category for me. I like to be referred to as a good singer of good songs in good taste.

One of the great moments of my life was when I could write musician on my passport.

I don’t know what they’re thinking about. Just because someone says, ‘I like what you do’ or something: They might like it today and tomorrow they might not. I’ve had that experience with record companies.

If I were to call it black music, that would be untrue. I don’t know what that is, unless it would be some African drums or something.

The idea is more important than the style you’re playing in.

Most people use music as a couch; they want to be pillowed on it, relaxed and consoled for the stress of daily living. But serious music was never meant to be soporific.

The wonderful thing about Jazz is its willingness to take chances.

The more real you get, the more unreal everything else is.

Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.