Kenny Barron

It’s not uncomfortable for me to be a sideman, but I feel more comfortable as a bandleader.

What are you going to do when you love music? You can’t stop.

I am an American citizen and feel I am entitled to the same rights as any other citizen.

Pop doesn’t really look back. It can’t. What makes pop work is simplicity.

I think that what is important is that the music be honest and direct and that it is relevant to today.

Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.

I think I was supposed to play Jazz.

If you want to make money in music, get into the band uniform business.

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

I’m trying to get people to see that we are our brother’s keeper. Red, white, black, brown or yellow, rich or poor, we all have the blues.

May your heart always be joyful. May your song always be sung.

You don’t have to live the blues to play the blues.

I fell in love with Jazz when I was 12 listening to Duke Ellington and hearing a lot of Jazz in New York on the radio.

People complain about the music industry, but this is a great time to be a musician.

The audience should feel they are hearing the future, arriving just on time.

I think when my brother (Claude who founded vocal sextet Take Six) got his deal and I saw him on the Grammys that was when I said, ‘oh, you know what? If he can do it then maybe I can do too’ and that’s when I really focused on trying to make it in this business.