16 Quotes by Marcus Miller

In this era it's harder for musicians to get together, ... Back in the '80s, we were all at the clubs, you ran into people all the time. Now, everybody's kind of in their own room with their computers. I use making an album as an opportunity to connect with musicians.

I pull them out from time to time depending on the vibe, ... That's a great thing about jazz: We leave it a little space so that we have the opportunity to go where the moment takes us.

Hip-hop influences everything and everybody. It's not just music. It's...a culture. Guys like the clean look now ever since Jay-Z said, 'and I don't wear jerseys no mo I'm 30 plus, give me a fresh pair of jeans and a button up'. Before that, Jay-Z had everyone wearing jerseys. Jerseys were the thing. But now it's different.

Scott Tixier is an exciting young jazz violinist and is making an international name for himself. I heard him in France and was immediately struck by his individuality and his sound.

Watching Michael Jackson was like taking a history lesson and a lesson on the future at the same time. If that weren’t enough, Michael then went and single-handedly revolutionized music videos. It’s amazing that today, some twenty-five years later, everyone who makes a pop music video still feels obligated to include a 'group dance' sequence like the one Michael pioneered in 'Beat It'. That’s how influential and ahead of the times he was.

It's a great thing about being a musician; you don't stop until the day you die, you can improve. So it's a wonderful thing to do.

I think jazz is a beautiful, democratic music. It encourages musicians with very strong, and many times, very different points of view to work together as a team while, at the same time, giving them the space to express their individuality. It's a very important art form and can be used as a model for different cultures to work together.