55 Quotes by Dizzy Gillespie

Where there's no mutual respect, there's trouble!

Many critics always saw and heard that my style comes from Roy Eldridge, which is true. But for many things, not only how to play the trumpet but the way to choose the notes, how to play them and how to phrase all of them, I took that from Sweets [Edison]. He really brought something new to the trumpet.

They're not particular whether you're playing a flat 5th or a ruptured 129th as long as they can dance.

One of the reasons we're here is to be a part of this process of exchange.

You can't steal a gift. Bird [Charlie Parker] gave the world his music, and if you can hear it you can have it.

I try to play the bare essence, to let everything be just what it's supposed to be.

As a musician you have to keep one foot back in the past and have one foot forward into the future.

Some days you get up and put the horn to your chops and it sounds pretty good and you win. Some days you try and nothing works and the horn wins. This goes on and on and then you die and the horn wins.

I don't care too much about music. What I like is sounds.