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Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis Quotes

Trumpeter

Wynton Marsalis is an American trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. Born on October 18, 1961, he has made significant contributions to the field of jazz music. Marsalis has won numerous awards, including nine Grammy Awards, and has been a leading figure in the jazz community.

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All Jazz People Musician Art Ifs Play Jazz Music Way Mean Teach Firsts Trying Giving Music Music Is New Orleans Want Band Feels Kids

Famous Wynton Marsalis Quotes

“If you didn't have the amalgam of Blacks and African-type sensibility and European sensibility, you wouldn't have jazz. Even in the negative and in the positive ways - if there was no slavery and the abolition of slavery, there would be no jazz.”

Ifs Way Would Be Type Negative Slavery Jazz Sensibility Abolition Abolition Of Slavery

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“The arts speak across epochs. If you think that people started to build a cathedral in 1315 and the people worked on that cathedral, it wasn't going to be finished until 1585. So they were thinking 200 years from now. Maybe by the time I die, this wall might be put up.”

People Ifs Thinking Years Art Might Dies Speak Wall Finished Cathedrals

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“Even if nobody's singing, just when you talk, you're singing. I'll meet somebody and say, "Oh, I'm tone-deaf." I say, "You're not tone-deaf, because if you were tone-deaf you would speak like that. But you're 'Oh, I'm tone-deaf.' You already sang a song to me."”

Ifs Song Speak Singing Tone Deaf

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“We learn a language through its song, and even if you don't have music you have the song of people you love's voice, and you'll notice that song in their voice.”

People Ifs Song Language Voice

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“If you looked around, you'd be glad you couldn't see.”

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“This rebuilding of New Orleans gives us the perfect opportunity to see if we're ready to extend the legacy of Dr. King.”

Ifs Giving Opportunity Perfect Ready Kings Legacy Drs New Orleans Rebuilding

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“Don't worry about what others say about your music. Pursue whatever you are hearing... but if everybody really hates your music maybe you could try some different approaches.”

Ifs Trying Different Hate Worry Approach Hearing Pursue Different Approach

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“I never minded giving my opinions. They are just opinions, and I had studied music and I had strong feelings. I was happy for my opinions to join all the other opinions. But you have to be prepared for what comes back, especially if you don't agree with the dominant mythology.”

Ifs Giving Feelings Strong Opinion Agree Prepared Mythology Dominant Be Prepared Strong Feeling Others Opinions

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“If you are serious about American culture and you are serious about Afro-American culture, you are in a lot of pain. You are not - you are not smiling about it.”

Ifs Pain Culture Serious American Culture Afros

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“The history of jazz lets us know that this period in our history is not the only period we've come through together. If we truly understood the history of our national arts, we'd know that we have mutual aspirations, a shared history, in good times and bad.”

Ifs Knows Art Together Periods Understood Jazz Aspiration Good Times Mutual

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“And that's the soulful thing about playing: you offer something to somebody. You don't know if they'll like it, but you offer it.”

Ifs Knows Offers Jazz Soulful

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“As long as there is democracy, there will be people wanting to play jazz because nothing else will ever so perfectly capture the democratic process in sound. Jazz means working things out musically with other people. You have to listen to other musicians and play with them even if you don't agree with what they're playing. It teaches you the very opposite of racism and anti-Semitism. It teaches you that the world is big enough to accommodate us all.”

“Blues is like the roux in a gumbo. People ask me if jazz always has the blues in it. I say, if it sounds good it does.”

People Ifs Doe Asks Sound Jazz Ask Me Gumbo

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“Some stances are just conducive to swinging. If I stand up straight for too long it's harder to swing. Plus my feet hurt.”

Ifs Long Hurt Feet Harder Jazz Plus Swings Stance

Book:Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues Of Life

Source: Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues Of Life

“This is our bandstand. If you don't want to play, get up off the instrument and leave.”

Ifs Want Play Instruments Jazz Get Up

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“No particular music makes me feel nostalgic. If it's great, it just keeps me in the present moment. That level of music is like a classic story, like the Iliad-something so perfect it can never be old.”

Ifs Feels Moments Stories Perfect Levels Music Particular Music Is Classic Present Moment Nostalgic Iliad

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“If you're not making mistakes, you're not trying.”

Ifs Trying Mistake Making Mistakes Guitarist Same Mistakes I Make Mistakes Guitar Music Making The Same Mistakes

Author:Wynton Marsalis

“If you want to be different, do something different.”

Ifs Want Different Healing Teens

Author:Wynton Marsalis

About the Author

Born: October 18, 1961
Known for: Trumpeter
Quotes: 193

Related Topics

Jazz People Musician Art Ifs Play Jazz Music Way Mean Teach Firsts Trying Giving Music Music Is New Orleans Want Band Feels Kids

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your LifeRelated source material

Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues Of LifeRelated source material

To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the RoadRelated source material

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