Tom Harrell

Jazz is such a powerful cultural statement that it’s almost as if it’s intertwined with society.

Sounds of daily life are musical. I try to absorb the intricacies of sounds as if I were listening to music.

I don’t intend to be a performing flea anymore. I was the dreamweaver, but although I’ll be around I don’t intend to be running at 20,000 miles an hour trying to prove myself. I don’t want to die at 40.

I never have any trouble playing anything I can think of. The trouble is thinking of what to play.

We all have idols. Play like anyone you care about, but try to be yourself while you’re doing so.

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

Beiderbecke took out a silver cornet, put it to his lips and blew a phrase. The sound came out like a girl saying ‘yes.’

I’d like to feel that whatever I play is a result of whatever I’ve heard.

The value of music is to be able to play one note at the right time in the right way.

If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.

Blues is to Jazz what yeast is to bread; without it, it’s flat.

My dream is to do whatever I want without any interference from the record company.

Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.

The saxophone is an imperfect instrument, especially the tenor and soprano, as far as intonation goes. The challenge is to sing on an imperfect instrument that is outside of your body.

But the guitar, my lady, whether well played or badly played, well strung or badly strung, is pleasant to hear and listen to; being so easy to learn, it attracts the busiest of talented people and makes them put aside loftier occupations so that they may hold a guitar in their hands.

Other than conversation, no other art form can give the satisfaction of spontaneous interaction like Jazz.

I keep these songs in my head until I get behind the microphone. I never spend more than 30 or 40 minutes singing the vocal or it will sound mechanical. There are always mistakes, but it’s about feeling more than being perfect.