You know, being America, being the land of “number ones”, everyone wants to be a leader before they follow.
BRANFORD MARSALIShis special ability enables Walter to communicate with aspiring musicians in a way that removes the sense of mystery that sometimes enshrouds our profession.
More Branford Marsalis Quotes
-
-
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.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
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.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
When people go to concerts, they say I’m going to see… not, I’m going to hear.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
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.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
I don’t care who likes it or buys it. Because if you use that criterion, Mozart would have never written Don Giovanni, Charlie Parker never would have played anything but swing music. There comes a point at which you have to stand up and say, this is what I have to do.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
My job is to write songs that have emotional meaning to me.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
Everybody talks about finding your voice. Do your homework and your voice will find you.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
You don’t know what you like, you like what you know. In order to know what you like, you have to know everything.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
The biggest problem with American music right now, is that kids don’t listen. They come by it honestly, Americans don’t listen anyway.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
You hear it in your brain. Whatever makes sense. Some songs work well as quartet songs, sometimes they don’t.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
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.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
Pop doesn’t really look back. It can’t. What makes pop work is simplicity.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
I’m not going to play funk licks on a jazz album. That makes no sense.
BRANFORD MARSALIS -
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 MARSALIS -
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.
BRANFORD MARSALIS