One ends up relying on pure musical inspiration, and failing that, the music won’t lead to anything good, or it will alienate all but the most die-hard fans.

The three great moments of my life had to be the concerts of Ellington in 1938, Dizzy in ’48, and Ella in ’52.

I played the trumpet a bit like a porker, I think.

Of course, it’s fun to play with Blacks.

Mejor sería ganarse la vida pero mi vida es mía, solo mía, mi vida no necesito ganármela.

There are only two things: love, all sorts of love, with pretty girls, and the music of New Orleans or Duke Ellington. Everything else ought to go, because everything else is ugly.

Have you noticed with inflexible necessity of the me to insert itself between the sol which precedes it and the sol which follows it.

Sans le jazz, la vie serait une erreur

– C’est ce receveur, expliqua le conducteur.– Ah ! dit Amadis.– Il aime pas les voyageurs. Alors, il s’arrange pourqu’on parte sans voyageur et il ne sonne jamais. Je le saisbien.– C’est vrai, dit Amadis.–...

Is it their fault if they think that it’s good to work?- No, said Colin, it’s not their fault. It’s because they’ve been told : work is sacred, it’s good, it’s nice, it’s what counts...

– C’est formidable, dit Anne, quand on se met à penserà tous ces types qui travaillent pour rien. Qui restent huitheures par jour dans leur bureau. Qui peuvent y rester huitheures par jour.– Mais vous...

The problem is the following, black music is increasing encumbered by white elements, often pleasant but always superfluous, easily and advantageously replaced with black elements.