Stan Getz

My life is music, and in some vague, mysterious and subconscious way, I have always been driven by a taut inner spring which has propelled me to almost compulsively reach for perfection in music, often -in fact, mostly -at the expense of everything else in my life.

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

Life is too full of distractions nowadays. When I was a kid we had a little Emerson radio and that was it. We were more dedicated. We didn’t have a choice.

As far as playing jazz, no other art form, other than conversation, can give the satisfaction of spontaneous interaction.

There are four qualities essential to a great Jazzman: taste, courage, individuality and irreverence. These are the qualities I want to retain in my music.

I cannot play a lie. I have to believe in what I play or it won’t come out.

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.

My music had roots which I’d dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil.

Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory.

Yeah, it’s more like playing what you think is appropriate for the moment, not forcing any particular style.

Typically I go in the studio and whatever I’m contemplating that day will wind up being a song. I don’t come in with lyrics… I just go in and let it happen.

I love Jazz because it has the perfect balance of discipline and freedom.

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 don’t get jazz. It always sounds like a bunch of toddlers let loose in a music room.

Jazz without the Blues is like BBQ without the sauce.

Some twenty years ago, during the course of a memorable evening at the Stravinskys’ home in Los Angeles, the venerable maestro turned to me and said in no uncertain terms: ‘My dear, you should conduct your own music. All composers should conduct their own music!

I was a singing disc jockey who heard every type of music there was – and loved it all.

It is great to have your own label; you can cultivate your own artists… I’ve worked with pretty much everyone I wanted to.

By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.

I’m… a rather simple person with a limited talent and perhaps a limited perspective.

I am very aware that so little has happened to the electric guitar from the time that it was conceived to now; where there are so little changes made where there should be drastic changes made. If we were to put our heads together and start thinking about modern technology we would be much more advantaged with the electric guitar than we are. I think that we’ve been stagnant for many years.