If I were like a lot of other people, then it wouldn’t be fun; but since I’m like me, it’s okay.
BRANFORD MARSALISIf I were like a lot of other people, then it wouldn’t be fun; but since I’m like me, it’s okay.
More Branford Marsalis Quotes
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My job is to write songs that have emotional meaning to me.
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The piano is the X factor. People have a tough time following the structures when there’s no piano there, spelling it out. It makes it more easily understood, particularly to people who don’t know as much about music.
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The whole point is, give me a break with the standards. You go to the average jazz label and suggest a record and they want to know which standards you’re going to play. I’m saying let’s break the formula.
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So much of Jazz doesn’t have an audience other than music students or musicians.
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If it’s not going to sound like Terrapin Station, what’s the point of playing Terrapin Station?
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Pop doesn’t really look back. It can’t. What makes pop work is simplicity.
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When you’re dealing with music without words, titles are more a means of identification than anything else. What’s the point of getting lofty?
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The way to learn the language is to rip off other players. As Benny Golson told me, “We all start off sounding like other cats.
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Everybody talks about finding your voice. Do your homework and your voice will find you.
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Coltrane came to New Orleans one day and he was talking about the jazz scene. And Coltrane mentions that the problem with jazz was that there were too few groups.
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You know, being America, being the land of “number ones”, everyone wants to be a leader before they follow.
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I’m not going to play funk licks on a jazz album. That makes no sense.
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It’s hard to get into Newsweek because, as more of our former intellectual magazines take on a pop focus, if there’s no buzz, there’s no interest.
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One of the things that’s clear to me from interviews that I’ve read is that the more popular successful jazz musicians had audiences above and beyond the music community.
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The biggest problem with American music right now, is that kids don’t listen. They come by it honestly, Americans don’t listen anyway.
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