Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Count Basie

Quote by Count Basie

“I never thought innovation as such was very important. Not when you have to think about it... If you're going to come up with a new direction or a really new way to do something, you'll do it by just playing your stuff and letting it ride. The real innovators did their innovating by just being themselves.”

Quote by Count Basie

Author

Count Basie
Count Basie

Count Basie, born William James Basie, was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. He was born on August 21, 1904, and passed away on April 26, 1984. Basie was renowned for his unique piano style and contributions to jazz, leading his band to become a significant landmark in jazz history. more

You May Also Like

“That's the clarinet I used to use... but it's just a piece of wood, you know, with holes in it and they put these clumsy keys on it and you're supposed to try to take that and manipulate it with throat muscles and chops... and try to make something happen that never happened before. And when you do, you never forget it. It beats sex, it beats anything.”

“Art is constant tension and release. That is where artists live, between the two, or at times, submerged in either. The challenge is never ending perfection is impossible, it could always be different, better, or worse. It's not important, just process and striving to be like the man who walks the trapeze maintaining balance.”