Duke Ellington

My music is a gift. It's a gift to the world.

I'm a humble person. I know that I'm just a small part of something much bigger.

The future of music is in the hands of the young people.

I'm a happy person. I love my life and I love my music.

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

I never had a problem with my identity. I was always Duke Ellington.

The most important thing I have learned is that I am not alone.

The history of jazz is the history of America.

We are not trying to play jazz. We are trying to play music.

The audience is the most important thing. Without the audience, there is no music.

I don't want to be a jazz musician. I want to be a musician who plays jazz.

My music is the story of my life.

I never stopped learning. I never stopped growing.

I am not a genius. I am a hard worker.

I'm just a messenger. The music is the message.

I want to be remembered as a musician who made good music.

The blues are a feeling, not a style.

I don't play jazz. I play Negro folk music.

My music is a reflection of my life and my experiences.

I don't believe in competition. I believe in collaboration.