Looked George Quote by Jack Kerouac
““I looked. George Shearing. And as always he leaned his blind head on his pale hand, all ears opened like the ears of an elephant, listening to the American sounds and mastering them for his own English summer's-night use. Then they urged him to get up and play. He did. He played innumerable choruses with amazing chords that mounted higher and higher till the sweat splashed all over the piano and everybody listened in awe and fright. They led him off the stand after an hour. He went back to his dark corner, old God Shearing, and the boys said, 'There ain't nothin left after that.””
About This Quote
The passage celebrates artistic immersion, where deep listening transforms into powerful, transcendent performance that leaves both performer and audience altered.
In simple terms: Intense focus creates extraordinary music that moves everyone.
Key Takeaway
Listen deeply, then express boldly.
Themes
creativity
performance
transcendence
listener
audience
Mood
awe
intensity
Type
inspirational
descriptive
When to use this quote
- jazz sessions
- live concerts
- intimate rehearsals
Key Concepts
improvisation
emotional intensity
musical mastery
Questions to Reflect On
- How does deep listening shape your creative output?
- What risks arise from pushing performance limits?
A Different Perspective
The energy may exhaust the artist, limiting sustained output.
![“One of the reasons I always looked up to [George] Carlin is he looked like your grandfather but, acted like your best friend. Most of the adults in my world were adults and acted like adults and had job-type jobs and bills and pressures and stopped playing a long time ago. And George Carlin was a…” quote by Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d3e/kevin-smith-3887_adults_one-of-the-reasons-i-always-looked-up-to_820516.jpg)
