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Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn’t want me to be too famous too young.

Duke Ellington

Selfishness can be a virtue. Selfishness is essential to survival, and without survival we cannot protect those whom we love more than ourselves.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Ourselves Selfish Survive Virtue
The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Knowledge Master Musician
Somehow I suspect that if Shakespeare were alive today, he might be a jazz fan himself.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Alive Fans Himself Suspect
Critics have their purposes, 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 they did.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Carry Criticism Focus Purpose Thinking
Playing ‘bop’ is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Missing Play
If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!
DUKE ELLINGTON

Feeling Music Sound
Love is indescribable and unconditional. I could tell you a thousand things that it is not, but not one that it is. Either you have it or you haven’t; there’s no proof of it.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Evidence Love Myself Yourself
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
I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Blue Energy Myself Writing
You have to stop listening in categories. The music is either good or it’s bad.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Bad Category Goodness Listening Stop
Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn’t want me to be too famous too young.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Famous Fate Kindness Myself Young
What does music mean to you? What would you do without music?
DUKE ELLINGTON

Important Meaning Music Yourself
The artist must say it without saying it.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Artist Language
Of the One O’Clock Lab Band after hearing their performance, and sitting in with them at the White House: “I wish it were mine”.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Hear Myself Performance
There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Goodness Kind Music
A musical profit outweighs a financial loss.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Financial Loss Musical Profit

Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn’t want me to be too famous too young.

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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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