American - Musician | March 15, 1930 -
When I came out of the conservatory, the first thing I did was to go see Thelonious Monk.
Cecil Taylor
GoFirstSeeOutMonkDid
Fats - very funny man, but every note that he played was like a pearl.
FunnyManNoteLikeHeEvery
If you take the creation of music and the creation of your own life values as your overall goal, then living becomes a musical process.
LifeMusicProcessYouValuesGoal
Rhythm is the life of space of time danced through.
LifeTimeSpaceRhythmThrough
You must surrender whatever preconceptions you have about music if you're really interested in it.
MusicYouSurrenderWhateverMust
I discovered very early that it wasn't quite enough for me to imitate people.
PeopleMeEnoughEarlyImitateVery
To me, the piano in itself is an orchestra.
MeOrchestraPianoItself
The quality of life, values that go down to doin' that, that's the issue.
LifeQualityValuesDownGoIssue
I understand about the relative strengths of people, and I don't think people have to be anything. They can be nothin' if they want to be.
PeopleThinkWantUnderstandNothin
Mother, being a pianist, told me how to play with my fingers on the piano.
MotherMePlayPianoBeingFingers
The first record I made, when I listen to it, I understand. I understand perfectly well why certain musicians were unhappy with me. I had to decide: was I unhappy with me? I liked it. If they didn't like it, it was on them.
MeMusiciansUnhappyWhyUnderstand
One of the things Mother said to me, 'You want this, you're going to practice.' And I know how to practice.
MotherPracticeMeYouKnowSaid
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