Thelonius Monk went over to Bird and Bud Powell and said, 'I told you guys to act crazy, but I didn't tell you to fall in love with the act. You're really crazy now.' — Charles Mingus Copy Share Image
I admire anyone who can come up with something original. But not originality alone, because there can be originality in stupidity, with no musical description of any emotion or any beauty the man has seen, or any kind of life… — 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
