84 Quotes by Dave Brubeck

No dictatorship can tolerate jazz. It is the first sign of a return to freedom.

Once when asked how I would like to be remembered, I answered, "As someone who opened doors.

There's a way of playing safe, there's a way of using tricks and there's the way I like to play which is dangerously where you're going to take a chance on making mistakes in order to create something you haven't created before.

I'm always hoping for the nights that are inspired where you almost have an out of body experience

What I want to happen is to be really creative, and to play something new in the improvisations, every time.

Jazz stands for freedom. It's supposed to be the voice of freedom: Get out there and improvise, and take chances, and don't be a perfectionist - leave that to the classical musicians.

I’m beginning to understand myself. But it would have been great to be able to understand myself when I was 20 rather than when I was 82.

And there is a time where you can be beyond yourself. You can be better than your technique. You can be better than most of your usual ideas. And this is a whole other category that you can get into.

After the Second World War, I returned to California to study composition with Darius Milhaud, who wrote wonderful works like 'Le Boeuf sur le Toit' and 'La Cretion du Monde.' I especially enjoy his work for two pianos, 'Scaramouche.