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 ELLINGTONBilly Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brainwaves in his head, and his in mine.
More Duke Ellington Quotes
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The Europeans who went to Africa came back with “modern’ art. What is more African than a Picasso?
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There are 2 rules in life: Number 1- Never quit. Number2- Never forget rule number 1.
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Without a deadline, baby, I wouldn’t do nothing.
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Somehow I suspect that if Shakespeare were alive today, he might be a jazz fan himself.
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New York is a place where the rich walk, the poor drive Cadillacs, and beggars die of malnutrition with thousands of dollars hidden in their mattresses.
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By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.
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Billy Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brainwaves in his head, and his in mine.
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Playing ‘bop’ is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
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Simplicity is a most complex form.
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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.
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Problems are chances for us to do our best.
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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.
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If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!
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A problem is a chance for you to do your best.
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Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
DUKE ELLINGTON