Leonard Bernstein Quotes

You can play a shoestring if you're sincere.

Well, actually, I don't consider myself a jazz legend or anything.

Clifford Brown was in the jazz circles considered to be probably the greatest trumpet player who ever lived.

If it's not coming from your heart and if you don't believe it, then more than likely you're not going to be able to bring yourself to performances that justify playing.

Music is so important to me that that's got to be the only way I can do it. In the purest possible way.

I personally think Miles Davis is a lot funnier than me. And he's working more.

Chico Hamilton told me, "The first take is important in jazz because that's where the real emotion is." That's your true response to what's happening, and everything else after that, your brain is involved because you have something to reference.

But you listen to Coltrane and that's something human, something that's about elevation. It's like making love to a woman. It's about something of value, it's not just loud. It doesn't have that violent connotation to it. I wanted to be a jazz musician so bad, but I really couldn't. There was no way I could figure out to learn how to play.

I was always very leery of my piano playing. As a young kid, I wanted to be a jazz musician, but my taste was far greater than my ability.

I wouldn't argue that anyone living can play the trumpet better than Wynton Marsalis.

Everything I did is because I wanted to do it. If I weren't playing this arena, if I were playing a club, I'd still be doing it because that's what I want to do. I love playing the guitar.

There have been many great musicians that, Clifford Brown is one great example, I mean he died very early, 25.

Man, 2013, I would expect an album from B.o.B and a Rock EP as well. My Rock EP is like... I take pride in my work and I'm not going to do something just to say that I can do it if I ain't really passionate about doing it. I'm very passionate about my music. Sometimes I take it too seriously.

As long as there are musicians who have a passion for spontaneity, for creating something that's never been before, the art form of jazz will flourish.

If he's a true symphony artist, he knows better than that because he knows that the only truly creative musician is the jazz musician.

Music is real when it goes inside you. You know when you really love someone, and you look into their eyes and you know it's real? Even though I'm an electronic artist, I wanna keep it real.

Some people try to get very philosophical and cerebral about what they're trying to say with jazz. You don't need any prologues, you just play.

I think the best music is honest music.

I only deal in what is real. To be honest, I've never thought about what I could get out of football or where it would take me. I just wanted to play. I'm the same now.

I've always made music from the heart, and that's what I do.

The only thing I have ever really cared to be known as is a musician.

I love music so much I love what I do. I work very hard at being the best musician I can be because I love it.

But you have to give your whole life to a cello. When I realized that, I went back to the guitar and just turned the volume up a bit louder.

I'm a trumpet player, and I sing jazz.

Making music, if you're a real musician, you carry on regardless in this world.