Herbie Hancock

I’m always looking to create new avenues or new visions of music.

I try stuff. I synthesize what’s of value with some of the other things I have at my disposal.

The value of music is to be able to play one note at the right time in the right way.

Jazz? has no boundaries.

Creativity and artistic endeavors have a mission that goes far beyond just making music for the sake of music.

One thing I like about jazz is that it emphasized doing things differently from what other people were doing.

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

I discovered very early that it wasn’t quite enough for me to imitate people.

Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.

I developed in my head that I’m never any better than my last concert or the last time I played, so it’s like an audition each time. You get nervous just before going onstage. I still have that, but I think it’s more like concern. You’re concerned about the people – like meeting your in-laws for the first time.

When you are studying Jazz best thing to do is listen to records and live music as much you can and absorb everything.

There are notes between notes, you know.

If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you’re going to the bank to borrow money.

Sometimes there are no gigs, but the main thing is still the music.

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

Do not fear mistakes, there are none.

I’m not a star. I’m just backing up the cats.

Jazz is such a powerful cultural statement that it’s almost as if it’s intertwined with society.

Even when you write it, someone’s got to play it. So if you can play it and bypass all the rest of the things, you’re still doing as great as someone that has spent forty years trying to find out how to do that. I’m really pro-human beings, pro-expression of everything.

You can have the greatest player in terms of mastering an instrument and be yawning your head off.

Well, if you find a note tonight that sounds good, play the same damn note every night!