Thelonious MonkThinkers

Bebop is a style that wasn't developed in any deliberate way.

The Bridge (music) is the inside of the tune that makes the outside sound good.

Eccentricity is a slander — anybody talented in any way - they're called eccentric.

A Genius is someone who is most like himself

Improvisation is about novelty — after two takes you're imitating yourself.

Jazz is a personal adventure.

Jazz is not definable. You're just supposed to know it when you hear it.

Loudness is not what it seems — the loudest noise in the world is silence.

Music is about sincerity rather than novelty — There are no new notes. When you look at the keyboard, they're all there already. But if you mean a note enough, it will sound different. You got to pick the notes you really mean!

Music is subconscious mathematics — all musicians are subconsciously mathematicians.

A Note is capable of becoming as small as a pin or as big as the world, it depends on your imagination.

Recording is about retaining the novelty — after two takes you're imitating yourself.