I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
DUKE ELLINGTONA problem is a chance for you to do your best.
More Duke Ellington Quotes
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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.
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Sing sweet, but put a little dirt in it.
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My mother told me I was blessed, and I have always taken her word for it. Being born of – or reincarnated from – royalty is nothing Like being blessed. Royalty is inherited from another human being; blessedness comes from God.
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Now I can say loudly and openly what I have been saying to myself on my knees.
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Yet, every time God’s children have thrown away fear in pursuit of honesty-trying to communicate themselves, understood or not, miracles have happened.
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Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one.
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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.
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Without a deadline, baby, I wouldn’t do nothing.
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New music? Hell, there’s been no new music since Stravinsky.
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Playing ‘bop’ is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
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The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he knows how to listen.
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Self-discipline, as a virtue or an acquired asset, can be invaluable to anyone.
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My biggest kick in music -playing or writing- is when I have a problem. Without a problem to solve, how much interest do you take in anything?
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If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!
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You’ve got to find a way of saying it without saying it.
DUKE ELLINGTON