I'm too busy playing. When I'm playing I don't pay attention to who's listening. When I was listening I listened to symphony orchestras, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky. You don't listen to one instrument; you listen to music. — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
Tastes are created by the business interests. How else can you explain the popularity of Al Hirt? — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
Whatever coast he's on, a man should be himself. I don't write in any particular idiom, I write Charles Mingus. — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
If someone has been escaping reality, I don't expect him to dig my music. — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
I've got a feeling that, if it's so easy for you, the struggle and the initiative are not as strong as they are for… — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
That sound in tune to you? Sounds sharp to me. Sounds like I'm playing sharp all the time. My singing teacher told us you… — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
Our nights didn't begin until after noon. Because in the old days, you'd start Birdland at 8:30 or 9 pm and play until 4… — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
My son's a painter. All through school his teachers tell him he's a genius. I tell him to paint me an apple that looks… — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
“Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple.” — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with all the discrimination they ran into. — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
