Bill Evans

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.

My creed for art in general is that it should enrich the soul; it should teach spirituality by showing a person a portion of himself that he would not discover otherwise . . . a part of yourself you never knew existed.

It bugs me when people try to analyze Jazz as an intellectual theorem. It’s not, it’s feeling.

I went through a lot of mental pains and anguish about choosing between jazz and classical. I realized that where I functioned was where I should be, and where I functioned was in jazz, so that was it.

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.

Jazz music has always been a place where anything is possible.

Music is the most fantastic drug there is!

Playing gives me as much good feeling now as it did when I was a bitty kid.

Let me whisper it. Let me sigh it. Let me sing it, my dear or I will cry it.

To get the music the way you want it, there’s a lot of work involved.

For me, there wasn’t a line between working and getting paid or simply playing for fun.

All this is saying is, OK I see now, the ‘hood does not quite want Shirley Bassey yet, so let me still give them this. Crack Music was made after Diamonds. After black people were like, ‘I don’t know about this one.’ It was like me reaching too high for the cookie jar.

I can’t sing it straight. I have no choice but to swing it.

If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.

I’m creating music – it doesn’t matter if anyone else likes it.

If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time!

But the guitar, my lady, whether well played or badly played, well strung or badly strung, is pleasant to hear and listen to; being so easy to learn, it attracts the busiest of talented people and makes them put aside loftier occupations so that they may hold a guitar in their hands.

Music is an addiction.

Let the music speak for itself.

You could go out and eat and come back and the note would still be playing.

Love is sweeping the country.