In the world of music, few figures have left as enduring a legacy as the legendary Duke Ellington. His melodies continue to resonate across generations, transcending the boundaries of time and genre. As we delve into the realm of jazz, we find ourselves guided by the wisdom encapsulated in "Quotes By Duke Ellington," not merely as notes on a musical scale but as profound insights into life, artistry, and creativity. In this exploration, we will not only dissect the timeless music that Ellington created but also unravel the layers of wisdom hidden within his quotes.
Quotes By Duke Ellington (2024)
Duke Ellington, one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz music, left behind a legacy of incredible music and profound wisdom. His quotes reflect his deep understanding of music, life, and creativity. Here are unique and inspiring quotes by Duke Ellington:
"A problem is a chance for you to do your best."
"Music is my mistress, and she plays second fiddle to no one."
"Love is indescribable and unconditional. I could tell you a thousand things that it is not, but not one that it is."
"I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues."
"It's like an act of murder; you play with intent to commit something."
"Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions: when it ceases to be dangerous you don't want it."
"Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be too famous too young."
"I don't need time. What I need is a deadline."
"The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he knows how to listen."
"Gray skies are just clouds passing over."
"Critics have their purposes, and they're supposed to do what they do, but sometimes they get a little carried away with what they think someone should have done, rather than concerning themselves with what they did."
"To play music is, in a sense, to pray."
"I don't believe in categories of any kind, and when you speak of problems between blacks and whites in the U.S.A. you're referring to categories again."
"Music, of course, is what I hear and something that I more or less live by. It's not an occupation or profession, it's a compulsion."
"The wise musicians are those who play what they can master."
"I never had much interest in the piano until I realized that every time I played, a girl would appear on the piano bench to my left and another to my right."
"There is no art without intention."
"By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with."
"People do not retire. They are retired by others."
"Put it this way: Jazz is a good barometer of freedom… In its beginnings, the United States of America spawned certain ideals of freedom and independence through which, eventually, jazz was evolved, and the music is so free that many people say it is the only unhampered, unhindered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country."
"I don't need more problems, I've got enough problems."
"Too many people want to grow up too fast, and it's not all it's cracked up to be."
"I've been on the top, and I've been on the bottom. Both places are empty."
"There is hardly any money interest in art, and music will be there when money is gone."
"Jazz is freedom. You think about that."
"You've got to find some way of saying it without saying it."
"Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing."
"I like any and all music."
"Now I can say loudly and openly what I have been saying to myself on my knees."
"Jazz is a good barometer of freedom."
"I like to play in the deep register. I like to play the low notes."
"If it sounds good and feels good, then it is good!"
"I was born at the right time and place - I had the joy of being part of the big band era, of being part of the Duke Ellington era, which is the pinnacle of American music."
"Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered."
"It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing."
"Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited."
"I've got to where am in life not because of something I brought to the world but through something I found - the wealth of African culture."
"I don't believe in giving up. I believe in giving in."
"Too many people are playing at jazz. They're trying to get from here to there without going through the music."
"There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind."
"There are two kinds of worries - those you can do something about and those you can't. Don't spend any time on the latter."
"I'm just an up and coming musician."
"To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do is incredible freedom."
"I don't believe in categories of any kind, and when you speak of problems between blacks and whites in the U.S.A. you are referring to categories again."
"I never thought that a lot of money or fine clothes would make you happy. My concept of happiness is to be filled in a spiritual sense."
"I've been blessed to live a long life doing what I love to do most of all. There's a uniqueness to it."
"I've found that you don't need to wear a necktie if you can hit."
"I've got to be a star like another man has to breathe."
"I've said that playing the blues is like having to be black twice. Stevie Ray Vaughan missed on both counts, but I never noticed."
"Music is how I live, why I live, and how I will be remembered."
"Music is my refuge. I crawl into the grooves."
"Music is the tonal reflection of beauty."
"Music is the language of us all."
"Music should wash away the dust of everyday life."
"Music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."
"My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never."
"No matter how well you do something, there's always somebody else who does it better."
"Put it simply, music is the universal language."
"Remember, we all stumble; every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand."
"The problem with every country in the world is not the leaders; it's the followers."
"There is nothing to keeping a band together. You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!"
"We all do 'do, re, mi,' but you have to find the other notes yourself."
"We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing."
"What we play is life."
"You don't have to be a sort of vagrant musician to be a successful musician."
"Art is the freedom of spirit, and the study of it is the liberation of spirit."
"Art is the most beautiful of all lies."
"Art is the most sublime of all the lies."
"Art should be the beginning of a conversation, not the end."
"Art tells the spirit of the age."
"Don't give up playing music. Just remember to play from the heart."
"Don't just rehearse and play the music, become the music."
"Don't play what's there, play what's not there."
"Each man has his own music bubbling up inside him."
"Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude."
"Good music doesn't have an expiration date."
"I am an optimist. Anyone interested in the future has to be otherwise he would simply shoot himself."
"I don't believe in hurry; I don't believe in waiting either. Ideally, we're going to live, and I'm going to play every note I've written in the orchestra."
"I don't want to play like anyone else. I want them to say, 'Oh, he can do something else besides Beethoven.'"
"I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That's all I know."
"I have to make them feel for me what I feel for them."
"I like jazz, but I could never play it. You just sit there with a guitar the size of a Chevy on your chest, wearing a stupid hat, playing the same solo for an hour."
"Life is like a trumpet - if you don't put anything into it, you don't get anything out of it."
"Love is supreme, and unconditional; like is nice, but limited."
"Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions: when it ceases to be dangerous, you don't want it."
"I don't believe in categories of any kind, and when you speak of problems between blacks and whites in the U.S.A., you're referring to categories again."
"By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with."
"A problem is your chance to do your best."
"Every man prays in his own language."
"I don't believe in categories of any kind, and when you speak of problems between black and white people in the U.S.A., you're referring to categories again."
"I love music, and music isn't greedy."
"I'm just an upstart who came along and stole jazz from under them."
"I'm playing the same songs they played when I was a young man."
"I was born at the right time, and I've seen a lot of teams come and go in the big leagues."
"Don't let people know too much about you."
"There are two rules in life: Number 1 - Never quit. Number 2 - Never forget Rule Number 1."
"A musician's life is a lot easier than many think. It seems a lot of work, but the real work is in the writing."
"I like to see the difference between the core and the decoration."
"A goal is a dream with a deadline."
"It's not the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it."
"I've always been interested in jazz. I used to live in Harlem. I used to play jazz."
"I've been to Canada, and I've always gotten the impression that I could take the country over in about two days."
"I didn't need any inspiration to start my career as a bandleader. I was looking for a job, and I got one."
"It's not the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it."
The profound words of Duke Ellington, encapsulated in "Quotes By Duke Ellington," continue to resonate with us, transcending time and genre boundaries. His wisdom on life, music, and creativity remains an enduring source of inspiration for those who seek to find their own unique rhythm in the world.
Whether it's his reflections on the art of intention, the power of simplicity, or the indescribable nature of love, Ellington's quotes remind us of the timeless relevance of his work and the lasting impact he has left on the world of music and beyond.
