- Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited.
- A problem is a chance for you to do your best.
- The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.
- My mother told me I was blessed, and I have always taken her word for it. Being born of -- or reincarnated from -- royalty is nothing Like being blessed. Royalty is inherited from another human being; blessedness comes from God.
- You've got to find some way of saying it without saying it.
- My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never.
- It's like an act of murder; you play with intent to commit something.
- Playing "bop" is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
- Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be too famous too young.
- By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with.
- Critics have their purposes, and they're supposed to do what they do, but sometimes they get a little carried away with what they think someone should have done, rather than concerning themselves with what they did.
- Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions: when it ceases to be dangerous you don't want it.
- On becoming more acquainted with the word of the Bible, I began to understand so much more of what I had been taught, and of what I had learned about life and about the people in mine.
- Lovers have come and gone, but my mistress stays. She is beautiful and gentle. She waits on me hand and foot. She is a swinger. She has grace. To hear her speak, you can't believe your ears. She is ten thousand years old. She is as modern as tomorrow, a brand new woman every day, and as endless as time mathematics. Living with her is a labyrinth of ramifications. I look forward to her every gesture. Music is my mistress, and she plays second fiddle to no one.
- I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
- Roaming through the jungle of "oohs" and "ahs," searching for a more agreeable noise, I live a life of primitivity with the mind of a child and an unquenchable thirst for sharps and flats.
- Gray skies are just clouds passing over.
- A man is a god in ruins.
- There are two kinds of worries -- those you can do something about and those you can't. Don't spend any time on the latter.
- People do not retire. They are retired by others.
Duke Ellington Quotes
By Jessica McElrath, About.com
New York, New York. Duke Ellington, orchestra leader. May 1943.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection.
Explore African-American History
Must Reads
About.com Special Features
Make Meals Easy
An easy way to put delicious meals together.Build Your Business
Get tips on starting up and staying competitive.Love Your Living Space
Achieve your dream home with advice from the pros.Financial Planning
Stay on top with our smart financial tips.
©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.
All rights reserved.