Wynton Marsalis

Don’t settle for style. Succeed in substance.

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.

A beat is a moment in the life a groove.

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

Music does not come to you. You have to come to it and you’ll walk away with something you didn’t have before.

Don’t bullshit, just play.

You can be beyond yourself, better than your technique, better than most of your usual ideas.

It’s like a whole orchestra, the piano for me.

I was really running a music school back then, because my band wasn’t making any money. I keep talking about money, because most people don’t understand the part of money in running a band.

It doesn’t matter all that much. It’s just that when you’re playing, Stephane, you’ve got both Chaput and me backing you, but when I’m soloing I’ve only got one guitar behind me!

I wasn’t so interested in being paid. I wanted to be heard. That’s why I’m broke.

Even if you have some brilliant jazz ideas, it’s going to be difficult to get them across unless you have 1-a distinctive sound or 2- a loud sound. These are musts.

A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside… I’m going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do.

One of the advantages of growing older is you learn what to leave out.

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.

There is a time where you’re beyond yourself, better than your technique, better than your usual ideas.

I heard someone say ‘What’s that kid doing here? Call your piano player and let’s get started.’

Music making is the most joyful activity possible, the most perfect expression of any emotion.

I try to practice with my life.

When the music changes, so does the dance.

I’ve worked with jazz artists, country artists, classical artists, pop artists. I never wanted there to be categories, because when I was a kid there weren’t.