Bill Evans

When you begin to teach jazz, the most dangerous thing is that you tend to teach style…I had eleven piano students, and I would say eight of them didn’t even want to know about chords or anything – they didn’t even want to do anything that anybody had ever done, because they didn’t want to be imitators. Well, of course, this is pretty naive…but nevertheless it does bring to light the fact that if you’re going to try to teach jazz…you must abstract the principles of music which have nothing to do with style, and this is exceedingly difficult. So there, the teaching of jazz is a very touchy point. It ends up where the jazz player, ultimately, if he’s going to be a serious jazz player, teaches himself.

If you take the time and your talent is real, it will last.

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

Keep searching for that sound you hear in your head until it becomes a reality.

I’m using the insides of sounds to move around in a very subtle way which, I think, ends up being inevitable. I feel its the only solution to that particular problem that I presented myself.

To the person who uses music as a medium for the expression of ideas, feelings, images, or what have you; anything which facilitates this expression is properly his instrument.

To work is to feel alive.

You will never know what the meaning of Jazz is if ask what it means.

The audience should feel they are hearing the future, arriving just on time.

If you must listen to bad music, please use headphones.

Jazz Improvisation means that practice is not as straightforward as it would be when you simply have a score to play.

You only get better by playing.

I’d rather be B.B. King. That’s the way I started. Let the heavy metal guys play heavy metal, let the others play the other… I try to do what I do better, not get away from it.

They’re singing your praises while stealing your phrases.

The expression of freedom that is Jazz improvisation mirrors the ethos of the best parts of society.

A wise man practices slowly; but a wiser man practices even slower.

A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted.

It’s not what you do, but the way you’re doing it and in the end that’s all that we have.

I felt a responsibility to present a viable alternative to the popular electric sound.

Jazz is an art that makes a person completely naked.

The popular song is America’s greatest ambassador.