Duke Ellington

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and applied it to work.

There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.

I don't need a vacation. I'm on vacation every day.

The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he knows how to listen.

I never had a problem with critics. I've always had a problem with people who don't understand what I'm doing.

I don't believe in categories. I just believe in good music.

The history of jazz is the history of the American Negro.

Without a deadline, I wouldn't do anything.

The wise don't worry over what they can't control.

I'm not a jazz musician. I'm a musician who plays jazz.

The only way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas.

Imagination is the most important thing.

I don't care what you do, as long as you do it with taste.

The blues are a statement of fact, told in terms of music.

I'm just trying to make music that sounds good.

We all have a certain amount of time to do what we're going to do.

The most important thing is to keep on going.

You've got to be able to hear it to play it.

I don't want to be a genius. I just want to be a nice guy who makes good music.

Jazz is music that is always in the process of becoming.