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.
DUKE ELLINGTONCritics 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.
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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Jazz today, as always in the past, is a matter of thoughtful creation, not mere unaided instinct.
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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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Everybody in Canada seemed to listen to what they enjoyed, and nobody could tell them what to like, or what was the popular, or what was the In thing. Even today, it is very hard to brainwash a Canadian.
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Playing ‘bop’ is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
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You’ve got to find a way of saying it without saying it.
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New music? Hell, there’s been no new music since Stravinsky.
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People do not retire. They are retired by others.
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Music is the tonal reflection of beauty.
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Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one.
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Without a deadline, baby, I wouldn’t do nothing.
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Gray skies are just clouds passing over.
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Music, of course, is what I hear and something that I more or less live by. It’s not an occupation or profession, it’s a compulsion.
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Every man prays in his own language.
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Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited.
DUKE ELLINGTON