You don't have to live the blues to play the blues. Herbie Mann More Quotes by Herbie Mann More Quotes From Herbie Mann When you get cancer, it's like really time to look at what your life was and is, and I decided that everything I've done so far is not as important as what I'm going to do now. Herbie Mann cancer important looks Being stubborn has helped, being selfish is not a bad thing. Herbie Mann bad-things stubborn selfish The reality is that what you find out is that your head is the medicine. If your head is not in the right place and you don't think positively, all the medicine technology in the world is not going to work. Herbie Mann technology reality thinking If you're in jazz and more than ten people like you, you're labeled commercial. Herbie Mann jazz inspiration people Being selfish to me means that you have to look out for yourself and you don't have to sacrifice. Herbie Mann selfish sacrifice mean My father's father came from Russia; my mother came from Romania. Herbie Mann russia mother father I had sat in one day in Central Park with Bonnie and Delaney, and Duane was playing with them, so I asked if he wanted to work on an album. You never had to say to him how to play the guitar. Herbie Mann central-park guitar play Let's say you have some chicken stock and you're making soup, and out of everything you can taste, some of the things you put in and some of the things you don't. So you start out with an African spice then you hear some Brazilian music, so then it changes. Then you hear Jamaican and it changes again. And the result depends on how much of each spice you put into it. Now, I've been putting in spices since I started playing professionally in 1945. Herbie Mann spices soup taste As much as I think John Coltrane belongs on the list, I think without Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, both of whom defined improvising on the tenor sax, there would not have been the evolution of the craft by John Coltrane. Herbie Mann crafts lists thinking To most jazz critics I was basically Kenny G. Herbie Mann kenny jazz critics You have to be concerned with yourself because if you're not on it all the time, nobody else is going to be. Herbie Mann concerned ifs What I try to do is produce an atmosphere where musicians want to invest in what they do and give to the recording. I hire those musicians who I know will play something creative and interesting. Herbie Mann play giving interesting One of the advantages of not having a record contract is that you can make your own mistakes, you don't need somebody else to organize them for you. Herbie Mann records mistake needs For me Brazilian music is the perfect mix of melody and rhythm. It just bubbles rhythmically. If I had to pick just one music style to play if would be Brazilian. Herbie Mann style perfect play I was raised in Brooklyn, and I lived there for 59 years. Herbie Mann brooklyn raised years Music allows the great opportunity to play with people you love. Herbie Mann music play opportunity If you want to play somebody's music, you'd better go into his house. Herbie Mann music house play If you keep your head in the sand, you don't know where the kick's coming from. Herbie Mann sand jazz music My youngest son, who is now the drummer in my band, lives in Brooklyn. My oldest son is about to move out to California, and my daughters are both out of town. Herbie Mann daughter mother moving My ego is controlled enough that I don't have to be the focus. Herbie Mann ego focus enough
