Funk Quote by Kamasi Washington

Just figure out what you think jazz is, and then if it fits into that category, it's jazz, and if it doesn't, it isn't.…

— Kenny G

"Jazz" to begin with, is a really bad word... all the true musicians that really play jazz, jazz is the worst word for it.…

— Eldar Djangirov

Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, and many other great jazz musicians objected to their music being called jazz. While the outside world may want to…

— Dave Brubeck

It's always difficult to define what jazz is or what jazz isn't. To me, the only definition that I can think of is it's…

— David Sanborn

Jazz music by its very nature is just a conglomerate of a lot of different kinds of music.

— David Sanborn

I think of jazz as being homage through innovation. Don't quote that as a definition, but it comes pretty close.

— Kurt Elling

I grew up in the funk, rock and roll, blues and r&b tradition, and I came to this thing we call jazz later. And…

— Hamid Drake

Jazz is not just music, it's a way of life, it's a way of being, a way of thinking.

— Nina Simone

Whether you like punk, grunge, or early rock and roll, there's probably something in there you've been living with your whole life and you…

— Gregory Porter

Certainly, jazz has become more of a niche, which is surprising, because it's our music. It's the national music of America.

— Renee Fleming

Jazz is the type of music that can absorb so many things and still be jazz.

— Sonny Rollins

I think jazz is a bit gatekept. Personally, I think that everyone has space in them to enjoy jazz and jazz-adjacent music. It just…

— Laufey