D C DowDell

The true musician plays what he/she hears. That cannot be a mistake.

Jazz improvisation is the art of collective negotiated expression.

The jazziest American contribution to the vocabulary of English is Jazz itself.

Jazz – it takes passion to make it happen!

10% of musicians make 90% of the money, while the remaining 90% of musicians make the 10% that’s left.

Jazz improvisation is an elusive genius.

Miles Davis and John Coltrane were so cool, if alive today global warming wouldn’t be an issue.

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

Notes are expensive… spend them wisely!

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

I sing like I feel.

I only knew classical music, which to me was the only true music. The only way I could survive at the bar was to mix the classical music with popular songs, and that meant I had to sing. What happened was that I discovered I had a voice plus the talent to mix classical music together with more popular songs, which at the time I detested.

If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.

T-Bone was, to me, that sound of being in heaven.

I often wonder whether Negroes like myself who are pretty well known help out at all in breaking down barriers.

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.

One very important thing I learned from Monk was his complete dedication to music. That was his reason for being alive. Nothing else mattered except music, really.

You can’t rehearse a blues darlin’.

Well if I could play like Wynton, I wouldn’t play like Wynton.

I have younger friends who don’t work and they aren’t doing so well. My secret is to keep going, keep working.

I prefer no one to teach me. I prefer to swing on my own.