Yusef Lateef Quotes

I started in New Orleans music and played all through the history of jazz.

I read every book there was on jazz, about the original players - King Oliver, Buddy Bolden and all those groups. At one time I was fairly well schooled in that... I could tell you who played where and when, historically, way before my time.

I have a large collection of biographies about jazz musicians.

Everybody in all countries tries to play jazz.

I listen to jazz about three hours a day. I love Louis Armstrong.

Now, the instrumentation in the jazz band and the jazz dance band has gone through many evolutions. For instance, in the 'twenties the tradition was two or three saxophones.

By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with.

I'm not a big jazz fan.

I got a poster from Columbia Records, and there's Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus, Ellington, Count Basie - everybody in that poster has died, I'm the only one left. And great players like Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan, it's hard to believe they're gone because we were all so close. But I believe in the future and the tradition will go on.

I have tons of jazz records: John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis. I could go on and on.

I listen to jazz mainly. Mainstream jazz.

I recorded my first jazz record in the '70s.

When I was 16 or 17 I heard the Count Basie band with Jo Jones and Lester Young and Herschel Evans and I couldn't believe it. They were the greatest swing band. I really fell in love with that sound. Everybody danced!

All the classic jazz players all sang and a lot of 'em sang blues.

I just don't know anything about jazz, really. I've never really listened to it, but I'd definitely like to discover more about it.

The first thing is, jazz is one of the few things to let you know that there is a God and there is a creation.

After I exhausted the blues thing, I got into jazz.

I've met a lot of jazz musicians in my day, and they're all funny.

I have a fondness for jazz, particularly for jazz singers, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald all the way through the Sinatra era.

Sometimes you need to stand with your nose to the window and have a good look at jazz. And I've done that on many occasions.

I was totally into jazz in my teens.

My dad is a big jazz fan, and that was the reason I first got into jazz.

I still love the whole history of jazz. The old things sound better than ever.

Growing up, I was very much interested in jazz music.

The sarangi, the ney flute are pretty ancient instruments.