Louis Armstrong Quotes about Music

Musicians don't retire; they stop when there's no more music in them.

If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know.

What we play is life.

If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it. And if I don’t practice for three days, the public knows it.

My whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow that horn.

Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it.

All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song.

If it hadn't been for Jazz, there wouldn't be no rock and roll.

We all do 'do, re, mi,' but you have got to find the other notes yourself.

My life has always been my music, it's always come first, but the music ain't worth nothing if you can't lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that audience, 'cause what you're there for is to please the people.

The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. Things like old folks singing in the moonlight in the back yard on a hot night or something said long ago.

If ya ain't got it in ya, ya can't blow it out.

Never play anything the same way twice.

You blows who you is.

I don't need words. It's all in the phrasing.

When I go to the Gate, I'll play a duet with Gabriel. Yeah, we'll play 'Sleepy Time Down South' and 'Hello, Dolly!.' Then he can blow a couple that he's been playing up there all the time.

Music is either good or bad, and it's got to be learned. You got to have balance.

Never play a thing the same way twice.

Not too slow, not too fast. Kind of like half-fast.