My People Are Americans. My Time Is

All Great Composers Of The Past Spent Most Of Their Time Studying. Feeling Alone Won't Do The Job. A Man Also Needs Technique.

All These Tales Of People Sitting Down And Composing Symphonies Just As Though They Were Writing A Letter Are Very Much Exaggerated; At Least, It Isn't That Way In My Work.

What The Hell Do You Want To Work For Somebody Else For? Work For Yourself!

Originality Is The Only Thing That Counts. But The Originator Uses Material And Ideas That Occur Round Him And Pass Through Him. And Out Of His Experience Comes The Original Creation.

Jazz I Regard As An American Folk Music; Not The Only One, But A Very Powerful One Which Is Probably In The Blood And Feeling Of The American People More Than Any Other Style Of Folk Music.