Keith Jarrett

One thing you learn: if you want to reveal yourself, you also have to know where to stop.

Jazz is one of the least learnable art forms.

I cannot say what I think is right about Music. I only know the rightness of it.

The way I think about the practicing, it is my undercover work.

Once we’re inside a tune, we can do anything with it.

I grew up with the piano. I learned its language as I learned to speak.

People don’t want to suffer. They want to sound good immediately and this is one of the biggest problems.

I’m always looking for ways to develop as a Jazz artist, to find different ways of using my voice.

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.

Jazz and love are the hardest things to describe from rationale.

I really feel like I made it a great record. I really feel good about it. In this day and age to make a record that you say, ‘This is different,’ that’s a tough nut. I did it by accident but it got done. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I know how to do it.

I’ve been married twice. Most women would rather not be married to a traveling blues singer.

The whole concept for the Yeezus album is that we’re not going to be using CDs in the future and since this is the last time we’re going to see it, this is an open casket for the CD.

They always want to sell me as a hard bopper.

Its all about finding the right note at the right place and knowing when to leave it alone.

I wasn’t so interested in being paid. I wanted to be heard. That’s why I’m broke.

Those who were seen dancing were thought insane by those who could not hear the music.

I may be helping to bring harmony between people through my music.

I don’t know where Jazz is going. Maybe it’s going to hell. You can’t make anything go anywhere. It just happens.

Don’t threaten me with love, baby. Let’s just go walking in the rain.

I, myself, came to enjoy the players who didn’t only just swing but who invented new rhythmic patterns, along with new melodic concepts. And those people are: Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Charles Parker, who is the greatest genius of all to me because he changed the whole era around.