Many of our greatest musicians abandoned all of their aesthetic objectives to try to become pertinent. And, at the end of the day, they never became pop stars. I counter stated that very strongly, and I continue to do that.
Wynton MarsalisRead
Swing is extreme coordination. It's a maintaining balance, equilibrium. It's about executing very difficult rhythms with a panache and a feeling in the context of very strict time. So, everything about the swing is about some guideline and some grid and the elegant way that you negotiate your way through that grid.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Swing emphasizes the harmony of rhythm and balance in music performance.
This quote by Wynton Marsalis beautifully captures the essence of swing music, highlighting the intricate balance required in musical expression. It suggests that while there are strict guidelines in rhythm and time, true artistry lies in how musicians navigate these constraints with elegance and flair, reflecting both skill and emotional depth in their performance.
Themes
SwingRhythmBalanceMusicArtistry
In practice
Example use cases
During a jazz concert, a musician could use this quote to explain the complexity and beauty of swing music.
More from Wynton Marsalis
All quotes →Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It's conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfill what they feel the moment requires.
Wynton MarsalisRead
The blues. It runs through all American music. Somebody bending the note. The other is the two-beat groove. It's in New Orleans music, it's in jazz, it's in country music, it's in gospel.
Wynton MarsalisRead
In Jazz, improvisation isn't a matter of just making any ol' thing up. Jazz, like any language, has its own grammer and vocabulary. There's no right or wrong, just some choices that are better than others.
Wynton MarsalisRead
My daddy thought - no, he expected - that my brothers and I and our generation would make the world a better place. He was correct in his belief because he had lived in an America of continual social progress, depression followed by prosperity, segregation by integration, and so on.
Wynton MarsalisRead
New Orleans had a great tradition of celebration. Opera, military marching bands, folk music, the blues, different types of church music, ragtime, echoes of traditional African drumming, and all of the dance styles that went with this music could be heard and seen throughout the city. When all of these kinds of music blended into one, jazz was born.
Wynton MarsalisRead
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