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The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.

Duke Ellington

Simplicity is a most complex form.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Complex Form Simplicity
Problems are chances for us to do our best.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Best Chance Ourselves Problem
There are two kinds of worries – those you can do something about and those you can’t. Don’t spend any time on the latter.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Kind Time Wasted Worry Yourself
Somehow I suspect that if Shakespeare were alive today, he might be a jazz fan himself.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Alive Fans Himself Suspect
There is no art when one does something without intention.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Art Intention
I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Blue Energy Myself Writing
Jazz is a good barometer of freedom.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Freedom Goodness Measurement
The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he knows how to listen.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Himself Important Known Listening Musician
Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn’t want me to be too famous too young.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Famous Fate Kindness Myself Young
If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!
DUKE ELLINGTON

Feeling Music Sound
My mother told me I was blessed, and I have always taken her word for it. Being born of – or reincarnated from – royalty is nothing Like being blessed. Royalty is inherited from another human being; blessedness comes from God.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Blessing Human Inheritance Mom Myself Royalty
Self-discipline, as a virtue or an acquired asset, can be invaluable to anyone.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Discipline Value Virtue
The Europeans who went to Africa came back with “modern’ art. What is more African than a Picasso?
DUKE ELLINGTON

Art Creativity Modern
I fluffed off the guy who kept requesting tunes all night, then found out he was the King’s son.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Finding Himself Man Request
There is nothing to keeping a band together. You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!
DUKE ELLINGTON

Money Myself Pay Togetherness
Sing sweet, but put a little dirt in it.
DUKE ELLINGTON

Music Sing Song Sweet

The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.

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The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.

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