Stan Getz

It’s like a language. You learn the alphabet, which are the scales. You learn sentences, which are the chords. And then you talk extemporaneously with the horn. It’s a wonderful thing to speak extemporaneously, which is something I’ve never gotten the hang of. But musically I love to talk just off the top of my head. And that’s what jazz music is all about.

Other than conversation, no other art form can give the satisfaction of spontaneous interaction like Jazz.

My life is music, and in some vague, mysterious and subconscious way, I have always been driven by a taut inner spring which has propelled me to almost compulsively reach for perfection in music, often -in fact, mostly -at the expense of everything else in my life.

The saxophone is an imperfect instrument, especially the tenor and soprano, as far as intonation goes. The challenge is to sing on an imperfect instrument that is outside of your body.

I cannot play a lie. I have to believe in what I play or it won’t come out.

There are four qualities essential to a great jazzman. They are taste, courage, individuality, and irreverence. These are the qualities I want to retain in my music.

You usually can’t tell what’s inspiring until you look back on it.

What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.

You have to understand the styles and it’s good to study those that came before us.

There are four qualities essential to a great jazzman. They are taste, courage, individuality, and irreverence. These are the qualities I want to retain in my music.

Do not fear mistakes, there are none.

I’m believe that all people are in possession of what might be called a ‘universal musical mind.’

I used my mother’s radio as a PA system. I’d take the telephone, the speaking part, and take those two leads off and lead them into the radio and the sound would come out of the speaker.

There is two kinds of music, the good, and the bad. I play the good kind.

All the music that was ever heard came from the inner silence in every musician.

I don’t really live like a musician myself. I think music is just something that I do, but I’d like to be doing lots of other things. I like to cure all kinds of illness.

It’s always been a gift with me, hearing music the way I do. I don’t know where it comes from, it’s just there and I don’t question it.

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.

I’ll always write music. Whether I release a record, whether I let the public hear it or not, I’m always writing music.

It’s not jazz as we know jazz here in America.

Music is a gift and a burden I’ve had since I can remember who I was.