Jazz is like wine. When it is new it's only for the experts, but when it gets older everybody wants it. — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
It starts with a single sound. If there's something in that sound, then it's worth continuing. — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
Some people really want to play Mozart and be just performers. I was more interested in invention. — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
I wanted to be a pianist but it just wasn't my thing. I guess I wanted to stand up rather than sit… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
I fell in love with jazz when I was 12 years old from listening to Duke Ellington and hearing a lot of… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
When I heard Monk in person in 1955, he was playing with a quartet in a small club. The place was full… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
When I found the music of Monk I finally found music that fit that horn. Every one of his tunes fit it… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
I've been working on the soprano saxophone for 40 years, and the possibilities are astounding. It's up to you, the only limit… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
The soprano has all those other instruments in it. It's got the soprano song voice, flute, violin, clarinet, and tenor elements and… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
There is an awful lot of what I call recreational jazz going on, where people go out and learn a particular language… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
They call me before they go into production, when they have a prototype, and they call legitimate saxophonists, too. As opposed to… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
A young pianist & composer who has demonstrated an exceptional creativity, in both his playing & his writing, as well as showing… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
A jazz musician is a combination orator, dialectician, mathematician, athlete, entertainer, poet, singer, dancer, diplomat, educator, student, comedian, artist, seducer, public masturbator,… — Steve Lacy Copy Share Image
Kenny G, I have to be grateful to him for proving that the instrument can be played all different kinds of ways. — Steve Lacy Copy Share
The more original something is, the more of a threat it seems until the people catch up with it. That happened with Thelonious Monk.… — Steve Lacy Copy Share
If you're trying to invent something new, you're going to reach a lot of discouraging points, and most people give up. — Steve Lacy Copy Share
There is an awful lot of what I call recreational jazz going on, where people go out and learn a particular language or style… — Steve Lacy Copy Share
If you have music you want to play that no one asks you to play, you have to go out and find where you… — Steve Lacy Copy Share
When I found the music of Monk I finally found music that fit that horn. Every one of his tunes fit it perfectly. — Steve Lacy Copy Share
I've always been extremely lucky in playing with great people who knew much more than I did. That's how I got from there to… — Steve Lacy Copy Share
It starts with a single sound. If there's something in that sound, then it's worth continuing. — Steve Lacy Copy Share
Nobody was playing the soprano saxophone and certainly nobody was trying to do anything with it. So I was all alone. I didn't know… — Steve Lacy Copy Share
