Count Basie Quotes

"I never thought innovation as such was very important. Not when you have to think about it... If you're going to come up with a new direction or a really new way to do something, you'll do it by just playing your stuff and letting it ride. The real innovators did their innovating by just being themselves." - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"The rough times - now I guess we can say, when you're doin' one-nighters, possibly, in some parts of the United States where it was sort of rough. Now it seems that it was rough, but then we were younger and we were havin' fun." - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"Well, if you find a note tonight that sounds good, play the same damn note every night!" - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"Of course, there are a lot of ways you can treat the blues, but it will still be the blues." - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"I, of course, wanted to play real jazz. When we played pop tunes, and naturally we had to, I wanted those pops to kick! Not loud and fast, understand, but smoothly and with a definite punch." - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"I'm saying: to be continued, until we meet again. Meanwhile, keep on listening and tapping your feet." - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"If you play a tune and a person don't tap their feet, don't play the tune." - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, '. Beware, the Count is Here.'" - Count Basie

Count Basie Quotes

"All I wanted was to be big, to be in show business and to travel... and that's what I've been doing all my life." - Count Basie