Duke Ellington

Now I can say loudly and openly what I have been saying to myself on my knees.

On becoming more acquainted with the word of the Bible, I began to understand so much more of what I had been taught, and of what I had learned about life and about the people in mine.

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.

Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.

By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with.

It's like an act of murder; you play with intent to commit something.