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Dave Brubeck

Dave Brubeck Quotes

Jazz Pianist

Dave Brubeck, an influential American jazz pianist and composer, was born on December 6, 1920, and passed away on December 5, 2012. His musical career spanned over half a century, and he is renowned for his unique musical style and innovative contributions to jazz.

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Famous Dave Brubeck Quotes

“Jazz stands for freedom.”

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Don't be a perfectionist... leave that to the classical musicians.”

Musician Jazz Classical Music Perfectionist Classical Musicians

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Jazz is about the only form of art existing today in which there is freedom of the individual without the loss of group contact.”

Art Today Form Individual Loss Music Groups Jazz Contact

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Most of the international acceptance of jazz education can be traced to the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, and the wonderful program they inaugurated.”

Wonderful Acceptance Program Jazz University International Texas

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, and many other great jazz musicians objected to their music being called jazz. While the outside world may want to put a label on it, those who create it think of it just as music, and tend not to classify it.”

Thinking World Art Musician Music Is Jazz Jazz Music Jazz Musician

Author:Dave Brubeck

“The use of rock, folk, or pop music serves a purpose. It gets people into the church. But an inexperienced guitar player who doesn't have much to say, for example, can make me wish to leave the church immediately, whereas one great jazz or classical guitarist can confirm that I will have a spiritual experience in the church.”

People Spiritual Purpose Wish Church Player Jazz Pop Music Guitarist Guitar Player Spiritual Experience

Author:Dave Brubeck

“There's a way of playing safe, there's a way of using tricks and there's the way I like to play which is dangerously where you're going to take a chance on making mistakes in order to create something you haven't created before.”

Way Play Order Chance Mistake Music Havens Safe Jazz Musical Tricks Making Mistakes Rock N Roll Take A Chance Play Safe

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Jazz stands for freedom. It's supposed to be the voice of freedom: Get out there and improvise, and take chances, and don't be a perfectionist - leave that to the classical musicians.”

Voice Chance Musician Jazz Supposed To Be Take A Chance Perfectionist Classical Musicians

Author:Dave Brubeck

“And there is a time where you can be beyond yourself. You can be better than your technique. You can be better than most of your usual ideas. And this is a whole other category that you can get into.”

Ideas Whole Jazz Technique Categories Usual

Author:Dave Brubeck

“The worst thing about the life of a jazz musician on the road is getting to the gig. Once you're there and playing, it's marvelous.”

Worst Musician Jazz Marvelous Worst Things Gigs Jazz Musician

Author:Dave Brubeck

“It's like a whole orchestra, the piano for me.”

Whole Jazz Piano Orchestra Piano Music

Author:Dave Brubeck

“My own Brubeck Institute in California is turning out fantastic young jazz players, and I know great things will happen.”

Knows Happens Young My Own Player Jazz Great Things Fantastic California Institute

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Do you think Duke Ellington didn't listen to Debussy? Louis Armstrong loved opera, did you know that? Name me a jazz pianist who wasn't influenced by European music!”

Thinking Knows Names Jazz Opera Dukes Pianist Did You Know Armstrong Debussy

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Damn it, when I'm bombastic, I have my reasons. I want to be bombastic-take it or leave it.”

Want Reason Music Jazz Musical Damn Bombastic

Book:Take five: the public and private lives of Paul Desmond

Source: Take five: the public and private lives of Paul Desmond

“Kinship doesn't come from skin color. It's in your soul and your mind.”

Mind Soul Music Color Skins Jazz Your Soul Kinship Skin Color

Author:Dave Brubeck

“I prefer no one to teach me. I prefer to swing on my own.”

My Own Teach Jazz Swings

Author:Dave Brubeck

“One of the reasons I believe in jazz is that the oneness of man can come through the rhythm of your heart. It’s the same anyplace in the world, that heartbeat. It’s the first thing you hear when you’re born — or before you’re born — and it’s the last thing you hear.”

Men World Firsts Believe Heart Reason Lasts I Believe Born Music Jazz I Believe In Rhythm Oneness Composer Heartbeat Pianist

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Jazz is about freedom within discipline.”

Discipline Jazz

Author:Dave Brubeck

“I knew even if I'm a cowboy, I'm going to be involved in jazz in some way.”

Ifs Way Involved Jazz Cowboy

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Jazz is about freedom within discipline. Usually a dictatorship like in Russia and Germany will prevent jazz from being played because it just seemed to represent freedom, democracy and the United States.”

States United United States Democracy Discipline Jazz Russia Germany Dictatorship Being Played

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Jazz isn't dead yet. It's the underpinning of everything in this country. Whether it's a Broadway show, or fusion, or right on through classical music, if it's coming out of the U.S., it's not going to survive unless it's got some jazz influence.”

Ifs Country Shows Influence Jazz Coming Out Broadway Classical Music Fusion Broadway Shows

Author:Dave Brubeck

“Many people don't understand how disciplined you have to be to play jazz... And that is really the idea of democracy - freedom within the Constitution or discipline. You don't just get out there and do anything you want.”

People Want Ideas Play Democracy Discipline Constitution Jazz Democracy Freedom

Author:Dave Brubeck

About the Author

Born: December 6, 1920
Died: December 5, 2012
Known for: Jazz Pianist
Quotes: 63

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Books & Sources

Take five: the public and private lives of Paul DesmondRelated source material

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