Luciano Pavarotti

People will hire you and then tell you not to do what you were doing when they heard you.

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

Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness – I wouldn’t know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness.

Inspiration comes from tunes you play, other musicians and your own imagination.

Jazz music is the real deal.

The challenge to the improvisor is to get permanence into his spontaneity. The challenge to the composer is to get spontaneity into his permanence.

I don’t care if a dude is purple with green breath as long as he can swing.

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

Jazz has such great feeling and emotional content it really doesn’t require technical understanding.

The minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.

In this era it’s harder for musicians to get together, … Back in the ’80s, we were all at the clubs, you ran into people all the time. Now, everybody’s kind of in their own room with their computers. I use making an album as an opportunity to connect with musicians.

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

I can tell whether a person can play just by the way he stands …If they act too hip, you know they can’t play shit.

I saw a vibraphone for the first time and knew immediately I had found my means of expression.

My neighbors always listen to very hip Jazz… whether they like it or not.