Jazz comes from our way of life, and because it's our national art form, it helps us to understand who we are. — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
It was Dr. King's tireless activism that fostered our modern way of relating to one another. — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
For Black people, we're one of the only groups of people that for some reason to express love of yourself, in some… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
Everything about the swing is about some guideline and some grid and the elegant way that you negotiate your way through that… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
I grew up in the South, and our way of dealing with each other was teasing, ribbing, making fun and scrapping in… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
But you listen to Coltrane and that's something human, something that's about elevation. It's like making love to a woman. It's about… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
When I came to New York, to Brooklyn, I met Alvin Ailey and Stanley Crouch and August Wilson. They were always putting… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
The majority of the high schools and the public schools in N.Y.C. don't even have band programs. Hip-hop in a lot of… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
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… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
One thing about excellence, it&Mac226;s an exclusive club. And it&Mac226;s only for those who really want to pay dues to the s--.… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
We created the spirituals. We created so much great music, jazz chief amongst our innovations, teaching us how to prize ourselves and… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
We fight for territory. We see it in our Congress, we see it in our political systems, we see it in our… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
I get so much from having the opportunity to interface with the younger people and to bring information to them and to… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
I hope it might help players have confidence in our own ways, and not to be afraid of them, as Bernstein showed… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
Swing is extreme coordination. It's a maintaining balance, equilibrium. It's about executing very difficult rhythms with a panache and a feeling in… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share Image
I never minded giving my opinions. They are just opinions, and I had studied music and I had strong feelings. I was happy for… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
I always read all these books about the slaves. My mother is very educated. My father would talk to us like we were grown… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
“The best musicians know this music isn't about "schools" at all. Like my father says, "There's only one school, the school of 'Can you… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
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. — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
I'm not a person who writes really abstract things with oblique references. I look at abstraction like I look at condiments. Give me some… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
Many a revolution started with the actions of a few. Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. A few hanging together can lead… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
“Today you go into make a modern recording with all this technology. The bass plays first, then the drums come in later, then they… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
In the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra we play such a diversity of music, with 10 arrangers in the band, we don't really worry… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
Commercialism that has absolutely no relationship to quality whatsoever, only quantitative assessment of a thing. — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
Instead of imposing your will on every situation...focus on including everyone else, and just that little adjustment of attitude gives you the space to… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
“I noticed that religion gave some people a way to escape dealing with the world: “Things will be better when you die,” the people… — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
Trumpet players see each other, and it's like we're getting ready to square off or get into a fight or something. — Wynton Marsalis Copy Share
