Ken Burns

Jazz is a very accurate, curiously accurate accompaniment to 20th century America.

The genius of our country is improvisation, and jazz reflects that. It’s our great contribution to the arts.

By its very nature, no one person can ever be the center of Jazz.

[on Glastonbury] I started off the show and I completely messed up the music. And me, as you can imagine by this phone call, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. So it really put me into a slightly depressed state.

The saxophone is an imperfect instrument, especially the tenor and soprano, as far as intonation goes. The challenge is to sing on an imperfect instrument that is outside of your body.

I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is ’cause I’m changing all the time.

Know the business; you need to know the business side of things.

I can’t understand guys who just have to have your autograph. What do you do when you get home, take it out and look at it?

A great song can pull me out of a slump and lighten my heart.

Music is an addiction.

It’s important to reflect on what made Jazz so special.

You can’t copy anybody and end up with anything. If you copy, you’re working without any real feeling.

Jazz and love are the hardest things to describe from rationale.

The way I think about the practicing, it is my undercover work.

Practice 15 or 20 years and then it comes out spontaneously.

It’s all music.

When I got started in New York, if you were different from Miles and Dizzy it was very difficult.

Even if you have some brilliant jazz ideas, it’s going to be difficult to get them across unless you have 1-a distinctive sound or 2- a loud sound. These are musts.