Dexter Gordon

If I were to call it black music, that would be untrue. I don’t know what that is, unless it would be some African drums or something.

Jazz is a living music; since its beginning has expressed the feelings, dreams and hopes of the people.

Music is a reservoir… of sounds.

When you know the lyrics to a tune, you have some kind of insight as to it’s composition. If you don’t understand what it’s about, you’re depriving yourself of being really able to communicate this poem.

I hope we left you with something to put under your pillow.

If you can’t play the Blues you might as well hang it up.

The hidden things, the subconscious that lies in the body and lets you know: You feel this, you play this.

When there was vinyl, I just loved opening a record and smelling that wonderful smell.

Indian music is very soulful and the only other school that develops improv to the high degree you find in Jazz.

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

To rise above the crowd, discipline yourself unceasingly to the strict demand and realities of your ambition.

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

Love is sweeping the country.

I’ve never written a political song. Songs can’t save the world. I’ve gone through all that.

You’ve heard me call myself a bluesman and a blues singer. I call myself a blues singer, but you ain’t never heard me call myself a blues guitar man. Well, that’s because there’s been so many can do it better’n I can, play the blues better’n me. I think a lot of them have told me things, taught me things.

People always ask, “Why jazz?” and I’m like “Why not?” It’s kind of like asking Seurat, “Why so many dots?” I imagine if you asked Bjork, “Why the Tibetan bells?” She’d probably be like “That’s just what I heard.” It’s the same thing. This is just the way I see music.

I sing to the realists; people who accept it like it is.

You explore beautiful songs and create your own interpretation of them.

You gotta mean it and you gotta treat it gentle.

He almost adds a Chet-like sound to it.

I don’t want to sing anything that doesn’t come real.