Bill Charlap

Gershwin was right in his time, at his time. Everybody else was behind.

I have been doing music all my life so everyday when I get up I expect music will be part of it.

My dream is to do whatever I want without any interference from the record company.

I’ve seen myself on those lists of the 100 best guitarists, and if they think that I’m that good, thank them. Thank God for them. But I don’t think so.

I developed in my head that I’m never any better than my last concert or the last time I played, so it’s like an audition each time. You get nervous just before going onstage. I still have that, but I think it’s more like concern. You’re concerned about the people – like meeting your in-laws for the first time.

I’ve always tried to defend the idea that the blues doesn’t have to be sung by a person who comes from Mississippi, as I did.

Even now, at 82 years old, if I don’t learn something every day, you know what I think? It’s a day lost. Now, I don’t practice every day. I just take the guitar, swear at it. But I should be swearing at myself. But I fool with music. I’m doing something musically all the time. And my ears are wide open for anything I can hear.

I wanted to do the music, but not at the expense of being happy.

Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.

This be an empty world without the blues.

I never thought Jazz was meant to be a museum piece like other dead things once considered artistic.

Sometimes I just think that there are more things to be said to make the audience understand what I’m trying to do more. When I’m singing, I don’t want you to just hear the melody. I want you to relive the story, because most of the songs have pretty good storytelling.

Music allows the great opportunity to play with people you love.

Your sound is you and what you really feel inside.

If you got up on the bandstand at Minton’s and couldn’t play, you might get your ass kicked.

Instrumental music is increasingly marginalized.