23 Quotes by Wadada Leo Smith

All art is political. Yes. Even the stuff that sounds like bubble-gum songs. I think all art is, by nature, intended to motivate society for change, and the only reason change doesn't happen is because within the target population, courage is lacking.

From now back to the past, we can observe clearly that none of us is free.

When Barack Obama was elected, it immediately brought out all the differences in society.

I've got that Beethoven energy, that Stravinsky energy. And it's all a gift from the Creator.

I wanted to identify that the black experience is American experience.

The artist is the consciousness of society... but musicians' role is very special.

We have these old fashioned ideas. For instance, here in America, we talk about democracy - but we don't have a democracy. There are elements of a democracy.

When I first started, I worked with my father, Alex 'Little Bill' Wallace; he was a guitarist like B.B. King. I was around 13 when I started, and I learned a lot by looking and listening. I learned how to be a bandleader from watching that band work.

I started composing when I was around 13, and back then, people used to say that I needed to be a composer or a performer, but I can't be good at both of them. I could never understand why anyone would say that. Jellyroll did both, Bessie Smith did both, and so did I.