The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he knows how to listen.
DUKE ELLINGTONSing sweet, but put a little dirt in it.
More Duke Ellington Quotes
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There are 2 rules in life: Number 1- Never quit. Number2- Never forget rule number 1.
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Self-discipline, as a virtue or an acquired asset, can be invaluable to anyone.
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The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.
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New music? Hell, there’s been no new music since Stravinsky.
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There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.
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You’ve got to find a way of saying it without saying it.
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The artist must say it without saying it.
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Simplicity is a most complex form.
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It is becoming increasingly difficult to decide where jazz starts or where it stops, where Tin Pan Alley begins and jazz ends, or even where the borderline lies between between classical music and jazz. I feel there is no boundary line
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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.
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You have to stop listening in categories. The music is either good or it’s bad.
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Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn’t want me to be too famous too young.
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Sing sweet, but put a little dirt in it.
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Problems are chances for us to do our best.
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Without a deadline, baby, I wouldn’t do nothing.
DUKE ELLINGTON