Artie Shaw

No matter how carefully and assiduously and how deeply you bury shit, the American public will find it and buy it in large quantity, It’s true, absolutely true.

‘Swing’ is an adjective or a verb, not a noun. All jazz musicians should swing. There is no such thing as a ‘swing band’ in music.

I was really running a music school back then, because my band wasn’t making any money. I keep talking about money, because most people don’t understand the part of money in running a band.

I can’t understand these guys who just have to have your autograph. I asked one of them ‘What do you do when you get home, take it out and look at it?’

I like the music. I love it and live it in fact, but for me the business part just plain stinks.

Dance music-as I keep saying, you can dance to a windshield wiper… a windshield wiper that’s fairly steady gives you a beat and all you need is an out-of-tune playing ‘Melancholy Baby’ and you’ve got dance music.

I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. I started working when I was 6 years old.

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

If a jazz player is really playing, the classical player will have to respect him.

You know why I quit playing ballads? Cause I love playing ballads.

There are times when you want to go where you used to go and you can’t go there. So I’m back to Count Basie lifting his hand. And I find you can stop that show with one note just like you can with a hundred.

I don’t care about the rules, if I don’t break the rules at least 10x every song then I’m not doing my job.

We all played bad before we played good.

I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions.

And if I had a preference, it would be to be able to not be in the studio until 4 in the morning.

It’s just exciting to be part of something that is brand-new.

It’s not that you want to sing, it’s that you have to sing.

You have to practice improvisation, let no one kid you about it!

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

Everybody has somebody that they patterned themselves after.

I always had a deep feeling to be one with the very minute I’m in.