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A jazz musician is a combination orator, dialectician, mathematician, athlete, entertainer, poet, singer, dancer, diplomat, educator, student, comedian, artist, seducer, public masturbator, and general all-round good fellow.
Steve Lacy
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Jazz musicians embody a diverse range of skills and talents, integrating various art forms into their craft.

Steve Lacy's quote highlights the multifaceted nature of jazz musicians, suggesting that their artistry transcends mere music. It portrays them as individuals who blend different disciplines—rhetoric, mathematics, performance, and humor—to create a unique and dynamic artistic expression that appeals to a wide audience.

Themes

JazzMusicArtCreativityExpressionPerformance

In practice

Example use cases

During a concert, one could quote this to emphasize the depth of musicianship involved in jazz.

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Play difficult and interesting things. If you play boring things, you risk losing your appetite. Saxophone can be tedious with too much of the same.
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