James Surowiecki Quotes

While it is true that Frank had a great sense of humor, he was also very serious about composing music. In reality there are only a handful of skilled players who can play his most complex pieces. It takes a lot of patience to learn and requires a fantastic memory.

By many peoples' standards, my playing is very primitive but by punk standards, I'm a virtuoso.

I know I'm a strong performer. I'm not an evolved musician.

Frank's bands could play the hardest stuff and make it seem like no big deal.

To put it in musician's terms, my chops are good.

I despise people who revel in the ignorance of not being able to play their instrument.

You might lose your spontaneity and, instead of composing first-rate Gershwin, end up with second rate Ravel.

I wish I was a shredder that could play everything, but I don't have the patience.

I'm a slow learner. When people are so talented or facile at picking up an instrument and playing covers, like Yo La Tengo, I admire that. But I could never do that.

Few of us boggle - though we should - at the fact that Louis Armstrong sang and played trumpet with similar panache, or that Leonard Bernstein and Benjamin Britten were equally adept as composers, conductors and pianists.

My first two records are so simply constructed. The reason isn't because I wanted to make simple music. It's because I don't really have the chops.

My harmony is passable but is usually made more eloquent at the hands of Steve Hamilton.

I practice on the acoustic guitar a little bit, but I think I have reached the peak of my talent.

There used to be a certain condescension to Mozart. His music was regarded as pleasant. He was a porcelain figure playing a porcelain harpsichord.

Hopefully, I have a certain amount of what you call musical talent.

Although they can do it all the time, you know, they're far better than me, on a musically, on a theoretical music level. You know, they're out of my league.

I was a 'Big Brother' fan. I thought they were better musicians than their detractors claimed, but more to the point, technical accomplishment was not something I cared about.

I think we're just one of those bands that we know what we do best.

You have a natural groove inside of you, but the more you practise, the more comfortable you will be with your instrument.

Even Angus says that Malcolm is a better guitarist than he is. He makes the drummer's job so easy, he's a metronome.

I worked extremely hard at my craft and at being a good songwriter, being a good guitar player, being a good organist, because I didn't think people would take me seriously.

There are times, like with Dire Straits, where you can get as close as you can be to being good at your instrument and not cross over to that tasteless place.

There are some people who are just plain great at making music. That's not who I am.

I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son (W A Mozart)is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition.

I like to believe that I play bass like Dusty Hill, and that's something nobody else can do as well as me. I'm the best Dusty Hill I know.