My People Are Americans. My Time Is

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.

I Like To Think Of Music As An Emotional Science.

When Jazz Is Played In Another Nation, It Is Called American. When It Is Played In Another Country, It Sounds False. Jazz Is The Result Of The Energy Stored Up In America.

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.

I Frequently Hear Music In The Heart Of Noise.