Ellen Johnson

I am attracted to Jazz music for the idea of being in the moment and communicating to people spontaneously.

I feel like….Music is the – it’s the answer. It’s the reason.

Music is interior decoration.

A guitar is something you can hold and love and it’s never going to bug you. But here’s the secret about the guitar – it’s defiant. It will never let you conquer it. The more you get involved with it, the more you realize how little you know.

Don’t give up trying to do what you really want. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.

Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness – I wouldn’t know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self- consciousness.

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

It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.

Jazz has such great feeling and emotional content it really doesn’t require technical understanding.

Once you start collecting records you learn more and more about Jazz and Blues.

Music is the only language in which you cannot say anything sarcastic.

Everybody ought to have a lower East Side in their life.

Leo wanted me to be partners with him – for it to be the Fender guitar: the Les Paul Fender. When he approached me with the idea, he brought over a guitar and he gave it to me and I have it here. And I thought, if I’m gonna do this I’m going to go with the biggest company in the world: Gibson. Why should I fool around with some guy who is not a musician – I should go to the Gibson people.

By and large Jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.

Sometimes it’s to your advantage for people to think you’re crazy.

I’ve always depended upon my own melodic instinct, instead of scale like formulas.