Whitney Balliett

They’re singing your praises while stealing your phrases.

Deep, unspeakable suffering may well be called a baptism, a regeneration, the initiation into a new state.

[In 1972] At the moment, we’re getting the same thrill from seeing the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Jo Jo Gunne, and Judee Sill happen… It’s as hard to do it with Jackson Browne as it was to do it with Joni five years ago.

Music must be an innovation.

Talent is only the starting point.

The better it gets, the fewer of us know it.

The Blues is never old.

You can have the greatest player in terms of mastering an instrument and be yawning your head off.

When it comes to music, don’t lie to yourself; just tell yourself the truth.

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

We usually never got out of there before four or five o’clock in the morning. Every morning. So it was rough.

The first time I heard Bird play, it hit me right between the eyes.

You may be sitting in a room reading this book. Imagine one note struck upon the piano. Immediately that one note is enough to change the atmosphere of the room – proving that the sound element in music is a powerful and mysterious agent, which it would be foolish to deride or belittle.

May your heart always be joyful. May your song always be sung.

Your accompanist has a lot to do with how you sing, so experiment and choose your partner wisely.