68 Quotes by Charles Mingus

Our nights didn't begin until after noon. Because in the old days, you'd start Birdland at 8:30 or 9 pm and play until 4 in the morning. Then you'd go out to the corner and talk to a couple of musicians - I used to talk to Oscar Pettiford a whole lot - you'd stand there till 7, 8 or 9, or else go down to the jam session at Minton's.

If you think this is weird, just look at yourselves.

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; ...

Let my children have music! Let them hear live music.

It (jazz) isn't like it used to be. The guys aren't together. They're all separated. Individuals now. Bird was a symbol. It was a clique, a clique of people. Who all believed in one thing: gettin' high. And playin'.

Just because I'm playing Jazz I don't forget about me. I play or write me the way I feel through Jazz.

Bach is how buildings got taller. It's how we got to the moon.

I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with all the discrimination they ran into.

Thelonius Monk went over to Bird and Bud Powell and said, 'I told you guys to act crazy, but I didn't tell you to fall in love with the act. You're really crazy now.'