Alanis Morissette

I’ll be writing songs till I die. There’s just no question.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve really worked toward balancing my life out more, having a little bit more time with friends, family and my boyfriend. There was a period of time when they were way down the list. It was all about music and touring and if everything fell by the wayside, so be it.

At some point, I would like to write a book and other things, but I work best when there is some sort of deadline in my own mind, but not when fifty people or fifty million people are breathing down the back of my neck.

I could write six songs in one day with everything that’s going on.

A good man often appears gauche simply because he does not take advantage of the myriad mean little chances of making himself look stylish. Preferring truth to form, he is not constantly at work upon the facade of his appearance.

I was born in ’74, so I missed out on all the great early ’60s and early ’70s.

I heard Mr. Wild Bill Davis. I heard him play in 1930 and he told me that it would take me fifteen years just to learn the pedals, the pedals of the organ and I got mad.

Man, you tell a story.

Is there a meaning to music? Yes. Can you state in so many words what the meaning is? No.

I think the idea is now for blacks to write about the history of our music. It’s time for that, because whites have been doing it all the time. It’s time for us to do it ourselves and tell it like it is.

If you’re making money people don’t think you’re playing Jazz. When you’re not making money they think you’re a great Jazz musician.

I thought Eric Clapton was good. He still is. Not only is he good – he’s rock’s #1 guitarist, and he plays blues better than most of us.

It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something.

Art [Blakey] would take young people with a potential and help them develop a voice as a player and as a writer.

Good music is good music and everything else can go to hell.

Sometimes you need to stand with your nose to the window and have a good look at Jazz.

People always ask, “Why jazz?” and I’m like “Why not?” It’s kind of like asking Seurat, “Why so many dots?” I imagine if you asked Bjork, “Why the Tibetan bells?” She’d probably be like “That’s just what I heard.” It’s the same thing. This is just the way I see music.

I’m trying to get people to see that we are our brother’s keeper. Red, white, black, brown or yellow, rich or poor, we all have the blues.

Change is always happening. That’s one of the wonderful things about Jazz music.

Music activates the brain at a high level.

Musicians need to continue higher learning try to expand the pallet.