Wynton Marsalis

Jazz music is the power of now.

Jazz isn’t the kind of music you’re going to learn in 3 or 4 years or get because you have talent for music.

Find the best teachers, listen to the finest playing and try to emulate that. Be true to the music.

I wanted to make somebody feel like Coltrane made me feel.

In Jazz, improvisation isn’t a matter of just making any ol’ thing up. Jazz, like any language, has its own grammer and vocabulary. There’s no right or wrong, just some choices that are better than others.

Don’t settle for style. Succeed in substance.

We may not be changing the world dramatically, but we’re improving it one note at a time.

When Bird came on the scene, it was shocking as in the Bible: everything was dark and then there was light.

90%, 100% are going there to hear the singing. The story is another thing. Nobody’s interested in the story. Happiness is happiness.

I don’t like to look back because the whole point in Jazz is doing it now.

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

The secret is keeping busy, and loving what you do.

Jazz is freedom. You think about that.

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.

Let the music speak for itself.

The people who know nothing about music are the ones always talking about it.

I got a chance to listen to and watch Thelonious Monk and his quartet play two shows a night, for six weeks. It was a great education. There was my university, man.

There’s a category for me. I like to be referred to as a good singer of good songs in good taste.

I’m glad I don’t have perfect pitch because it can drive you crazy.

I think I was supposed to play Jazz.

Music is like wine, the less you know about it the sweeter you like it.