Oscar Peterson

Too many jazz pianists limit themselves to a personal style, a trademark, so to speak. They confine themselves to one type of playing. I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea. I have no one style. I play as I feel.

Some players get very philosophical and cerebral about Jazz. You don’t need any prologues, you just play.

I don’t do something because I think it’ll sell 30 million albums. I couldn’t care less if it sells just one.

I play as I feel.

The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you are playing with, and if you have any racial inhibitions, you wouldn’t be able to do that.

Montreal was a very active jazz center until club owners started putting in strippers instead of music. Before long, there was nothing to hear.

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

It is great to have your own label; you can cultivate your own artists… I’ve worked with pretty much everyone I wanted to.

If you don’t know what it is, don’t mess with it.

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

I like chords that are very lush with all the lush parts taken out.

I’ve never written a political song. Songs can’t save the world. I’ve gone through all that.

I just wonder where I was when the talent was being given out, like George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Eric Clapton… oh, there’s many more! I wouldn’t want to be like them, you understand, but I’d like to be equal, if you will.

No one is original. Everyone is derivative.

Invest yourself in everything you do. There’s fun in being serious.

I thought I had swell ideas and wonderful musicians but no one else did.

I have to be a star like another man has to breathe.

One very important thing I learned from Monk was his complete dedication to music. That was his reason for being alive. Nothing else mattered except music, really.

Rather than say I play Jazz, I simply say I play music.

Life is too full of distractions nowadays. When I was a kid we had a little Emerson radio and that was it. We were more dedicated. We didn’t have a choice.

Anyone who understands Jazz knows that you can’t understand it. It’s too complicated. That’s what’s so simple about it.