Jazz? has no boundaries.
It’s not exclusive, but inclusive, which is the whole spirit of jazz.
It’s not the style that motivates me, as much as an attitude of openness that I have when I go into a project.
Music is the tool to express life – and all that makes a difference.
I’m always interested in looking forward toward the future. Carving out new ways of looking at things.
I try to practice with my life.
It pulled me like a magnet, jazz did, because it was a way that I could express myself.
I think Ive done the best I could have done. But I keep wanting to play better, go further. There are so many sounds I still want to make, so many things I havent yet done. When I was younger I thought maybe Id reached that peak. But Im 86 now, and if I make it through to next month, Ill be 87. And now I know it can never be perfect, it can never be exactly what it should be, so you got to keep going further, getting better.
One shouldn’t be in the habit of quoting oneself.
When the music changes, so does the dance.
They’re not particular about whether you’re playing a flatted fifth or a ruptured 129th as long as they can dance to it.
As far as playing jazz, no other art form, other than conversation, can give the satisfaction of spontaneous interaction.
To me, singing is like talking. If it ain’t natural, it ain’t right.
It’s important to reflect on what made Jazz so special.
In Jazz, improvisation isn’t a matter of just making any ol’ thing up. Jazz, like any language, has its own grammer and vocabulary. There’s no right or wrong, just some choices that are better than others.
It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.
You only go around once and this ain’t no rehearsal.
You will never know what the meaning of Jazz is if ask what it means.
Invest yourself in everything you do. There’s fun in being serious.
Jazz has borrowed from other genres of music and also has lent itself to other genres of music.
How do you explain what it feels like to get on the stage and make poetry that you know sinks into the hearts and souls of people who are unable to express it.
Life is a lot like jazz. It’s best when you improvise.
