The Europeans who went to Africa came back with “modern’ art. What is more African than a Picasso?
DUKE ELLINGTONMusic, 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.
More Duke Ellington Quotes
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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.
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I fluffed off the guy who kept requesting tunes all night, then found out he was the King’s son.
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Self-discipline, as a virtue or an acquired asset, can be invaluable to anyone.
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People do not retire. They are retired by others.
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A Satin Doll is a woman who is as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside.
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Everybody in Canada seemed to listen to what they enjoyed, and nobody could tell them what to like, or what was the popular, or what was the In thing. Even today, it is very hard to brainwash a Canadian.
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There is no art when one does something without intention.
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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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It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.
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Sing sweet, but put a little dirt in it.
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There is hardly any money interest in art, and music will be there when money is gone.
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If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!
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Jazz today, as always in the past, is a matter of thoughtful creation, not mere unaided instinct.
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Selfishness can be a virtue. Selfishness is essential to survival, and without survival we cannot protect those whom we love more than ourselves.
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By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.
DUKE ELLINGTON






