Robbie Robertson

Jazz music has always made powerful statements about freedom, creativity and personal identity.

The violin, the saxophone, the trumpet: Each makes a very different sound but the very same notes. That’s pretty heavy, you know ? Imagine how many different races make up the human race. I’m called colored, you’re called white, he’s called something else. We still got an asshole and a mouth. Pardon me.

They always want to sell me as a hard bopper.

There is no truer truth obtainable by man than comes of music.

I’m a musician at heart, I know I’m not really a singer. I couldn’t compete with real singers. But I sing because the public buys it.

You can’t listen to what people who aren’t musical have to say. When Anytime was released, I had bad reviews, and at first I was hurt. Your songs are like your children. You don’t want to hear, ‘Your kid is ugly.’ But I knew the record was good and it would sell.

Jazz is there and gone. It happens. You have to be present for it. That simple.

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

You can separate the men from the boys and ballads.

Django was the definitive genius on the guitar, and the depth of his gift was so spectacular.

Jazz is not a what, it is a how.

Music is emotional, and you may catch a musician in a very unemotional mood or you may not be in the same frame of mind as the musician. So a critic will often say a musician is slipping.

As long as there are people trying to play music in a sincere way, there will be Jazz.

It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.

A guy is influenced by hundreds of people and things, and all show up in his work. To fasten on any one or two is ridiculous. I will say one thing, though. Lennie Tristano’s early records impressed me tremendously. Tunes like ‘Tautology,’ ‘Marshmallow,’ and ‘Fishin’ Around.’ I heard the fellows in his group building their lines with a design and general structure that was different from anything I’d ever heard in jazz.