Oscar Peterson

I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea.

I play as I feel.

We’re not like pop musicians who have to perform the same top ten tunes every night of a tour.

If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.

I don’t do something because I think it will sell 30 million albums. I couldn’t care less. If it sells one, it sells one.

Some people try to get very philosophical and cerebral about what they’re trying to say with jazz. You don’t need any prologues, you just play. If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.

I like jazz, rock n’ roll, some hip hop – I can’t think of any music I don’t like.

A good player can make any instrument sound good.

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

The audience should feel they are hearing the future, arriving just on time.

We made records to document ourselves, not to sell a lot of records. I still feel that way. I put out a record because I think it’s beautiful, not necessarily commercial.

Darlin… be-bop is the music of the future.

All music is beautiful.

Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.

What have I got? No looks, no money, no education… just talent.

I’m too busy playing. When I’m playing I don’t pay attention to who’s listening. When I was listening I listened to symphony orchestras, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky. You don’t listen to one instrument; you listen to music.

You don’t know what love is, until you’ve learned the meaning of the blues, until you’ve loved a love you’ve had to lose.

I don’t have to lay on the couch and see a therapist because my therapy is in art.

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

At times in my life the only place I have been happy is when I am on stage.

I’m going to make music out of whatever style it is, being true to the artform itself.