Jelly Roll Morton

“In fact, if you don't have a good pianist in your orchestra, you have a muddy orchestra.”

“It is evidently known, beyond contradiction, that New Orleans is the cradle of jazz, and I, myself, happened to be the creator in the year 1902.”

“We had all kinds of characters in New Orleans. We had the greatest characters in the world.”

“Get up from that piano. You're hurtin' its feelin's.”

“The piano is the most important instrument in a jazz orchestra.”

“My contributions were many: First clown director, with witty sayings and flashily dressed, now called master of ceremonies.”

“If you can't manage to put tinges of Spanish in your tunes, you will never be able to get the right seasoning, I call it, for jazz.”

“Everyone today is playing my stuff and I don’t even get credit. Kansas City style, Chicago style, New Orleans style hell, they’re all Jelly Roll style.”

“Jazz music is to be played sweet, soft, plenty rhythm.”

“Without breaks, you don't have jazz.”