--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a gesture he has, a motion, that…" description: "\"There is a gesture he has, a motion, that always reminds me of a great batter leaning into a hit. He has a way of throwing one foot forward, putting hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/gene-lees-70592_baseball_there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that_2401751.jpg" --- # There is a gesture he has, a motion, that always reminds… ![“There is a gesture he has, a motion, that always reminds me of a great batter leaning into a hit. He has a way of throwing one foot forward, putting his head down a bit as he silently runs the valves, and then the cheeks bloom out in the way that has mystified his dentist for years, and he hits…” quote by Gene Lees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/gene-lees-70592_baseball_there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that_2401751.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/gene-lees-70592_baseball_there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that_2401751.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/gene-lees-70592_baseball_there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that_2401751.jpg) > “There is a gesture he has, a motion, that always reminds me of a great batter leaning into a hit. He has a way of throwing one foot forward, putting his head down a bit as he silently runs the valves, and then the cheeks bloom out in the way that has mystified his dentist for years, and he hits into the solo. When that foot goes forward like that, you know that John Birks Gillespie is no longer clowning. Stand back.” Gene Lees ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A musician’s physical motion signals confidence and mastery, indicating a shift from playful to serious performance. **In simple terms:** Body language shows when a musician is fully committed and serious. Key Takeaway Observe physical cues to gauge artistic seriousness. Themes music performance confidence Mood analytical appreciative Type musical observational When to use this quote - watching live jazz - learning performance dynamics - teaching music appreciation Key Concepts kinesthetic cues artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What physical signs reveal a performer’s confidence? - How can you tell when a solo is serious? A Different Perspective Not all musicians display the same gestures; interpretation can vary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Clowning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clowning/) [Gestures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestures/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [Well, my wife, Cathy Gillespie, worked for Joe Barton, who was running for Congress in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gillespie/well-my-wife-cathy-gillespie-worked-for-joe-barton-who-was-running/) [Ed Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gillespie/) > [I had a cat called Dizz, after Dizzy Gillespie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/i-had-a-cat-called-dizz-after-dizzy-gillespie/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [“Gillespie would recall the California experience with his typical resolve, a quality that probably fostered the remarkable longevity of his career: “Sea to sea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guthrie-p-ramsey-jr/gillespie-would-recall-the-california-experience-with-his-typical/) Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr > [Keith Gillespie just lacks a little bit of inconsistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-le-saux/keith-gillespie-just-lacks-a-little-bit-of-inconsistency/) [Graeme Le Saux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-le-saux/) > [The first records I heard were from Dizzy Gillespie and people like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-wyman/the-first-records-i-heard-were-from-dizzy-gillespie-and-people-like/) [Bill Wyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-wyman/) > [I once saw Dizzy Gillespie at a live show, and it made me want to go home immediately and start writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-once-saw-dizzy-gillespie-at-a-live-show-and-it-made-me-want-to-go/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [A clown is like aspirin, only he works twice as fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/a-clown-is-like-aspirin-only-he-works-twice-as-fast/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I do love situational comedy, clowning, and slapstick; I approach that with a lot of respect. The goofier you are, it doesn't mean you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-camil/i-do-love-situational-comedy-clowning-and-slapstick-i-approach-that/) [Jaime Camil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-camil/) > [I went to Paris for a year in 1986 to study theatre; there was a lot of clowning around, buffoonery and fencing. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orla-brady/i-went-to-paris-for-a-year-in-1986-to-study-theatre-there-was-a-lot/) [Orla Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orla-brady/) > [I was always one who was clowning around in school and getting in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-boreanaz/i-was-always-one-who-was-clowning-around-in-school-and-getting-in/) [David Boreanaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-boreanaz/) > [In all honesty, I never actually did anything wrong (in my eyes, at least) at school or misbehaved in any big way. If it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mcilroy/in-all-honesty-i-never-actually-did-anything-wrong-in-my-eyes-at/) [Rory McIlroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-mcilroy/) > [It's possible that the clowning and the buffoonery and the entertainment are a bigger part of what's happening than we've allowed. And that Trump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/it-s-possible-that-the-clowning-and-the-buffoonery-and-the/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [I've taken clowns into the war in Bosnia, the refugee camps of Kosovo, and none of those are any more important than clowning in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patch-adams/i-ve-taken-clowns-into-the-war-in-bosnia-the-refugee-camps-of-kosovo/) [Patch Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patch-adams/) > [If the guy in the Hanes commercial was clowning my 'bacon neck' to Michael Jordan right in front of me, we'd have problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-griffin/if-the-guy-in-the-hanes-commercial-was-clowning-my-bacon-neck-to/) [Blake Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-griffin/) > [I started getting on my feet and clowning around, and they ended up putting me in a play when I was 12. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-robbins/i-started-getting-on-my-feet-and-clowning-around-and-they-ended-up/) [Tim Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-robbins/) ## More by Gene Lees > [I have believed for many years that Oscar Peterson is not only the greatest pianist in jazz today, but the greatest it has ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-lees/i-have-believed-for-many-years-that-oscar-peterson-is-not-only-the/) Gene Lees > [Audiences tend to get the performances they deserve...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-lees/audiences-tend-to-get-the-performances-they-deserve/) Gene Lees > [ Despite his \[Artie Shaw's\] affectations of reclusiveness, he never tired of talking about himself, as countless long interviews reveal. I do not recall an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-lees/despite-his-artie-shaw-s-affectations-of-reclusiveness-he-never-tired/) Gene Lees Explore all 4 Gene Lees quotes ## More Baseball quotes > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [When you're in the middle of a pennant race, you can't go up there thinking about home runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-pennant-race-you-can-t-go-up-there/) [Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/) [Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/) > [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [I don't want the electronic strike zone. I like the element of sometimes pitches don't get called. Guys don't receive it well or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-don-t-want-the-electronic-strike-zone-i-like-the-element-of/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH to the National League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brett/if-i-was-going-to-make-one-rule-change-i-would-bring-the-dh-to-the/) [George Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brett/) > [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/) [Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/) > [I'll tell you what's helped me my entire life. I look at baseball as a game. It's something where people can go out, enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-caray/i-ll-tell-you-what-s-helped-me-my-entire-life-i-look-at-baseball-as-a/) [Harry Caray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-caray/) > [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray & Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/) [Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/) > [“I can buy baseball cards to view an entire career on the back of a little square of cardboard. But nobody sells major league…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg-jr/i-can-buy-baseball-cards-to-view-an-entire-career-on-the-back-of-a/) [John Ortberg Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg-jr/) > [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) [Browse all 7,461 Baseball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a gesture he has, a motion, that always reminds me of a great batter leaning into a hit. He has a way of throwing one foot forward, putting his head down a bit as he silently runs the valves, and then the cheeks bloom out in the way that has mystified his dentist for years, and he hits into the solo. When that foot goes forward like that, you know that John Birks Gillespie is no longer clowning. Stand back.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gene Lees" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-lees/there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that-always-reminds-me-of-a-great/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Baseball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-lees/there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that-always-reminds-me-of-a-great/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/gene-lees-70592_baseball_there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that_2401751.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/gene-lees-70592_baseball_there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that_2401751.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/gene-lees-70592_baseball_there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that_2401751.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a gesture he has, a motion, that always reminds me of a great batter leaning into a hit. He has a…” — Gene Lees", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gene Lees", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-lees/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is a gesture he has,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-lees/there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that-always-reminds-me-of-a-great/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-lees/there-is-a-gesture-he-has-a-motion-that-always-reminds-me-of-a-great/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```