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The Europeans who went to Africa came back with “modern’ art. What is more African than a Picasso?

Duke Ellington

There is no art when one does something without intention.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Art Intention
A Satin Doll is a woman who is as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Doll Herself Pretty Woman
I don’t need time. What I need is a deadline!
DUKE ELLINGTON

Limitation Myself Time
Every man prays in his own language.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Himself Language Man Prayer
There is hardly any money interest in art, and music will be there when money is gone.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Art Interest Money Music
There are 2 rules in life: Number 1- Never quit. Number2- Never forget rule number 1.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Forget Inspirational Life Rule
The artist must say it without saying it.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Artist Language
Sing sweet, but put a little dirt in it.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Music Sing Song Sweet
There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Goodness Kind Music
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.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Kind Time Wasted Worry Yourself
The problem of expressing the contributions that Benny Carter has made to popular music is so tremendous it completely fazes me, so extraordinary a musician is he.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Contribution Expression Music Myself Problem
If anybody was Mr. Jazz it was Louis Armstrong. He was the epitome of jazz and always will be. He is what I call an American standard, an American original.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Epitome Music Original Standard
If you have a great band with a mediocre drummer, you have a mediocre band. If you have a mediocre band with a great drummer, you have a great band!
DUKE ELLINGTON

Greatness Mediocre Musician Yourself
There is no art without intention.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Art Creation Creativity Intention One Liner
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.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Believe Black Kind White Yourself
Billy Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brainwaves in his head, and his in mine.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Bond Friendship Myself Right

The Europeans who went to Africa came back with “modern’ art. What is more African than a Picasso?

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The Europeans who went to Africa came back with “modern’ art. What is more African than a Picasso?

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