Herbie Hancock

It’s not the style that motivates me, as much as an attitude of openness that I have when I go into a project.

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

Jazz translates the moment into a sense of inspiration for not only the musicians but for the listeners.

It is people’s hearts that move the age.

It pulled me like a magnet, jazz did, because it was a way that I could express myself.

I’m always interested in looking forward toward the future. Carving out new ways of looking at things.

And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die.

I listen to everything, I listen to all artists that come along.

Start well and end well. The middle will look after itself.

You know at an early age if you have a talent for music.

My dream is to do whatever I want without any interference from the record company.

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.

I’m meant to be an artist who can stand on my own. That’s my place; that’s what I’m supposed to do.

Finally Beiderbecke took out a silver cornet. He put it to his lips and blew a phrase. The sound came out like a girl saying ‘yes.’

I’m… a rather simple person with a limited talent and perhaps a limited perspective.

But I have always suspected that one could substitute the Minuet of Haydn’s 98th symphony for the Minuet in Haydn’s 99th symphony without sensing a serious lack of coherence in either work.

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.

Whatever else has been said about me personally is unimportant. When I sing, I believe I’m honest.

I think you have to leave a lot to the imagination!

Never play anything the same way twice.

I can’t understand these guys who just have to have your autograph. I asked one of them ‘What do you do when you get home, take it out and look at it?’