Just because I'm playing jazz I don't forget about me. I play or write me, the way I feel, through jazz, or whatever. Charles Mingus More Quotes by Charles Mingus More Quotes From Charles Mingus Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that's easy. What's hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. Charles Mingus musicinspirationalart Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. Charles Mingus musicinspiringinspirational I never heard my music played the way I heard it in my head. Charles Mingus heardway I am Charles Mingus, half black man, not even white enough to pass for nothing but black. I am Charles Mingus, a famed jazzman, but not famed enough to make a living in this society. Charles Mingus blackwhitemen I'm trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it's difficult is because I'm changing all the time. Charles Mingus musicplaytrying My music is evidence of my souls will to live. Charles Mingus evidencemusic-issoul 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 he has lived. Charles Mingus stupiditymusicalmen Bach is how buildings got taller. It's how we got to the moon. Charles Mingus buildingmoon Making the complicated simple is true creativity. Charles Mingus creativitysimplecomplicated If Charlie Parker were a Gunslinger, There'd be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats Charles Mingus gunslingercopycatscharlie I, myself, came to enjoy the players who didn't only just swing but who invented new rhythmic patterns, along with new melodic concepts. And those people are: Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Charles Parker, who is the greatest genius of all to me because he changed the whole era around. Charles Mingus musicplayerart I was always doing revolutionary things, things that would alert people, so they would stop being so subservient. Charles Mingus subservientrevolutionarypeople Jazz music is a language of the emotions. Charles Mingus jazzmusicemotion 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 like an apple before he paints me one that doesn't. Go where you can go, but start from someplace recognizable. Charles Mingus teacherschoolson 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 a person who has to struggle and therefore has more to say. Charles Mingus strongstrugglefeelings Most customers, by the time the musicians reach the second set, are to some extent inebriated. They don't care what you play anyway. Charles Mingus musiciancareplay In my music, I'm trying to play the truth of what I am. Charles Mingus jazz-and-lifeplaytrying 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 falling-in-lovemusiccrazy They're singing your praises while stealing your phrases. Charles Mingus phrasessingingmusic Life has many changes. Tomorrow it may rain, and it's supposed to be sunshine, 'cause it's summertime. But God's got a funny soul, he plays like Charlie Parker. Charles Mingus sunshineplayrain
