No one is original. Everyone is derivative. Sonny Rollins More Quotes by Sonny Rollins More Quotes From Sonny Rollins Music represents nature. Nature represents life. Jazz represents nature. Jazz is life. Sonny Rollins musicnaturelife I want to be connecting with the subconscious, if I can call it that, because there are not to many words to describe the real deep inner part of a human beingI want to be at that place where everything is blotted out and where creativity happens, and to get there I practice, you know I'm a prolific practicer, I still practice every dayYou have to have the skills, then you want to not think when you're playing, that's when you let whatever deep level of creativity, spirituality, I mean, you know these words are so inadequate these days but you want to get to this place where they exist. Sonny Rollins realspiritualinspirational I'm not supposed to be playing, the music is supposed to be playing me. I'm just supposed to be standing there with the horn, moving my fingers. The music is supposed to be coming through me; that's when it's really happening. Sonny Rollins jazzmusicmoving Jazz is the type of music that can absorb so many things and still be jazz. Sonny Rollins jazz-and-lifetypemusic Improvisation is really not so much remembering things. And this is what I do when I play. I forget things. When I go on the stage, I want my mind to be a blank, so that I can - things can come into me without my knowing where they came from. Sonny Rollins knowingmindplay The thing is this: When I play, what I try to do is to reach my subconscious level. I don't want to overtly think about anything, because you can't think and play at the same time - believe me, I've tried it (laughs). Sonny Rollins musicbelievethinking I think music should be judged on what it is. It should be very high and above everything else. It is a beautiful way of bringing people together, a little bit of an oasis in this messed-up world. Sonny Rollins oasisbeautifulthinking Jazz never ends... it just continues. Sonny Rollins jazzends How ironic that the Negro, who more than any other people can claim America's culture as his own, is being persecuted and repressed; that the Negro, who has exemplified the humanities in his very existence, is being rewarded with inhumanity. Sonny Rollins humanityamericapeople I feel that Jazz improvisation is the ultimate. You have to create on the spot, the essence of this music. Sonny Rollins jazz-improvisationmusicessence I simply want to reach a level where I will never cease to make progress...so that, even on the bad evenings, I may never be bad enough to despair. Sonny Rollins despairprogressmusic I miss playing with Miles. I did play with him a little while before he left the planet, but even at that time I longed to maybe do some things together. Sonny Rollins missingtogetherplay I'll know when I find the ultimate sound. Sonny Rollins ultimatesoundknows ...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who makes things up as I go along, so nothing is ever finished - there are so many layers. So when you solo, yeah, you might get into one thing, but then, hey, everything has implications! You can hear the next level. And that's how I feel about improvising - there's always another level. Sonny Rollins next-levelheyguy It's all about creation and surprise. It just needs to be appreciated and watered like flowers. You have to water flowers. These peaks will come again. Sonny Rollins flowerwaterneeds Improvisation is the ability to create something very spiritual, something of one's own. Sonny Rollins jazzmusicspiritual I have always been a person who is concerned with the dignity of jazz music and the way jazz musicians have been treated and are treated, and the fact that the music has not been given the kind of due that it deserves. Sonny Rollins musicianfactsway We have to make ourselves as perfect as we can. Sonny Rollins perfect One very important thing I learned from Monk was his complete dedication to music. That was his reason for being alive. Nothing else mattered except music, really. Sonny Rollins dedicationmusicimportant I'm now a legend, whether I want to be or not. Sonny Rollins legendsmusicwant
