Billy Eckstine American Musician Quotations

Monk was great jazz artist, but geniuses have a little extra something. There's that little something that you know is a little different.

I started mainly learning piano, but not as an accomplished pianist. I learned by just using it as a basis for harmonic structures.

I have one son who's a drummer and then one son writes scripts and another daughter is a model, so they're all doing their thing.

As a matter of fact they'd blacken us down. I guess there's a reason that according to what the Caucasian wanted us to look like. He wanted us to look-if we were Black, then he had his idea of what we look like.

It taught me something. It taught you your craft.

It was my band. I organized the band and Dizzy was in the band. Dizzy was the first musical director with the band. Charlie Parker was in the band. But, no, no, that was my band.

Piano should be the one. Yeah, because that's your basis. Everything is right there in front of you.

Oh, yeah. I know Dizzy. For years he's been my buddy way, way, way back. Dizzy is one of the most astute guys and one of the most learned guys in the world and knows exactly what he's doing musically.

L.A. is kind of laid back, but New York, everybody is out there for that buck, you know.

I never had those hang-ups. I mean, I think the people that were concerned, maybe your agents and things had those things, but I never knew.

Mary Lou is a beautiful person. She's from my hometown, Pittsburgh. Mary Lou I love very much. She's a very accomplished musician.

That diatonic scale gives up pretty songs over and over and over and over again, and it's up to you to enjoy it, and I do. I enjoy the business.