Talent is only the starting point.
It’s not all smoke and mirrors. Some of it comes from books.
Jazz music today is from the head and not the heart.
Django Reinhardt was fantastic. he must have been playing all the time to be that good.
You should never be comfortable, man. Being comfortable fouled up a lot of musicians.
I love songs that are very autobiographical.
Especially, I want my work-and the trios if possible-to sing.
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.
A series of vibrations. What does it matter, the source of the catalyst?
I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions.
It’s like a whole orchestra, the piano for me.
Play for the spiritual aspect, the emotion.
Give it a good go, try to have fun at it, try to pass on some good notes and some good sounds to your fans, and I don’t think you will have wasted your time.
I love to hear the note sing.
Jazz is something you have to feel, something you have to live.
Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you dont live it, it wont come out of your horn. They teach you theres a boundary line to music. But, man, theres no boundary line to art.
I dont do something because I think it will sell 30 million albums. I couldnt care less. If it sells one, it sells one.
Judy Garland was the singer I most wanted to sound like then, not to copy, but to get some of her soul and purity. A wonderful young voice.
Jazz is not a what, it is a how.
After two takes you’re imitating yourself.
I was always exposed to music. Mom and dad would have the radio on constantly.
