I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
Duke EllingtonRead
Roaming through the jungle of "Ohs" 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.
Interpretation
This quote reflects a deep appreciation for music and creativity, highlighting a childlike curiosity and the pursuit of beauty in sound.
Duke Ellington's quote articulates the essence of artistic exploration, where he describes navigating the complexities of sound and emotion, akin to traversing a jungle filled with various expressions. His use of 'Ohs' and 'Ahs' signifies the fleeting nature of experiences and the continuous search for harmony and resonance, illustrating a profound connection to music that thrives on innocence and wonder.
In practice
In a speech about the influence of art on society.
I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
There is no art without intention.
There is nothing to keeping a band together. You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!
Gray skies are just clouds passing over.
Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
Fiction is to the grown man what play is to the child; it is there that he changes the atmosphere and tenor of his life.
You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what's in your heart.
Whenever I play recitals, the part where I talk about music and my experiences of music, audiences always like it. They feel more involved with an artist who talks to them. It's a nice experience for me as well.
They wasn't gonna give you nothin'. I didn't care as long as they let me play my music. Cash on the spot... You cheat me and I'm gonna get me some money, too.
The theme of the diary is always the personal, but it does not mean only a personal story: it means a personal relationship to all things and people. The personal, if it is deep enough, becomes universal, mythical, symbolic; I never generalize, intellectualise. I see, I hear, I feel. These are my primitive elements of discovery. Music, dance, poetry and painting are the channels for emotion. It is through them that experience penetrates our bloodstream.
I started out as a poet. I've always been a poet since I was 7 or 8. And so I feel myself to be fundamentally a poet who got into writing novels.
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