Buddy Rich

You only get better by playing.

As far as music school goes, I walked through Berkelee one time.

I never believed in a set routine. It should depend on how you feel, because you play what you feel.

Jazz is an idea that is more powerful than the details of its history.

Playing ‘bop’ is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.

I am very aware that so little has happened to the electric guitar from the time that it was conceived to now; where there are so little changes made where there should be drastic changes made. If we were to put our heads together and start thinking about modern technology we would be much more advantaged with the electric guitar than we are. I think that we’ve been stagnant for many years.

To this day, no one has come up with a set of rules for originality. There aren’t any.

To be a true artist you have to play the way you feel not the way others think you should feel.

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.

I have been doing music all my life so everyday when I get up I expect music will be part of it.

When rock music came in, I wasn’t bitter about it. I was puzzled.

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

Music used to be essential and meaningful, but now it’s disposable.

External instruments are only extensions of the biological instrument.

I came from an era when we didn’t use electronic instruments. The bass wasn’t even amplified. The sound was the sound you got.

The music scene is more competitive in the States.

Django was the definitive genius on the guitar, and the depth of his gift was so spectacular.

As long as there are people trying to play music in a sincere way, there will be Jazz.