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Somehow I suspect that if Shakespeare were alive today, he might be a jazz fan himself.

Duke Ellington

Now I can say loudly and openly what I have been saying to myself on my knees.
DUKE ELLINGTON

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

Art Creativity Modern
Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Entrance Sound Wings
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?
DUKE ELLINGTON

Interest Music Problem Yourself
Music is the tonal reflection of beauty.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Beautiful Music Reflection
A musical profit outweighs a financial loss.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Financial Loss Musical Profit
People do not retire. They are retired by others.
DUKE ELLINGTON

People Retirement
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
The artist must say it without saying it.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Artist Language
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
What does music mean to you? What would you do without music?
DUKE ELLINGTON

Important Meaning Music Yourself
There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Goodness Kind Music
Yet, every time God’s children have thrown away fear in pursuit of honesty-trying to communicate themselves, understood or not, miracles have happened.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Children Communication God Honesty Miracle Time
Simplicity is a most complex form.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Complex Form Simplicity
Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions: when it ceases to be dangerous, you don’t want it.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Art Dangerous Oneself Yourself
I like any and all of my associations with music: writing, playing, and listening. We write and play from our perspective, and the audience listens from its perspective. If and when we agree, I am lucky.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Association Audience Listening Music Perspective Play

Somehow I suspect that if Shakespeare were alive today, he might be a jazz fan himself.

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Somehow I suspect that if Shakespeare were alive today, he might be a jazz fan himself.

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