The Blues is never old.
You have to understand the styles and it’s good to study those that came before us.
But I have always suspected that one could substitute the Minuet of Haydn’s 98th symphony for the Minuet in Haydn’s 99th symphony without sensing a serious lack of coherence in either work.
First of all, I never strive for identity. ThatÂ’s something that just has happened automatically as a result, I think, of just putting things together, tearing things apart and putting it together my own way, and somehow I guess the individual comes through eventually.
I write songs about real things… The subject dictates the mood and it goes from there, really.
My neighbors always listen to very hip Jazz… whether they like it or not.
The qualities in music I consider most important are beauty, simplicity, originality, discrimination and sincerity.
Do not fear mistakes, there are none.
Music is a reservoir… of sounds.
You may be sitting in a room reading this book. Imagine one note struck upon the piano. Immediately that one note is enough to change the atmosphere of the room – proving that the sound element in music is a powerful and mysterious agent, which it would be foolish to deride or belittle.
Jazz music will continue to thrive, possibly in unexpected ways.
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.
I’m always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up in the morning and see the light. Then I’m grateful.
Spontaneously composed music is a counterpoint that has its own rules based on a natural order and intuitive logic.
Unless I really loved it and felt really passionate about it, I would just kind of abort the song and start a new one.
Instrumental music can spread the international language.
Music can’t save the world, but can make one a little calmer.
