The artist must say it without saying it.
DUKE ELLINGTONA problem is a chance for you to do your best.
More Duke Ellington Quotes
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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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If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!
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There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind the only yardstick by which the result should be judged is simply that of how it sounds. If it sounds good it’s successful; if it doesn’t it has failed.
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The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.
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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.
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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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Jazz today, as always in the past, is a matter of thoughtful creation, not mere unaided instinct.
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Sing sweet, but put a little dirt in it.
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Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
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Music is the tonal reflection of beauty.
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I’m sure critics have their purpose, 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 he did.
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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!
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What does music mean to you? What would you do without music?
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Simplicity is a most complex form.
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Be a number one yourself. And not a number two somebody else.
DUKE ELLINGTON