Lennie Tristano Quotes & Sayings

It's not instant composing; it's not following any kind of a formula. All you do is hear music in your head and reproduce it. — Lennie Tristano

You could make your fingers reproduce exactly what you felt, if you really worked at it. I achieved it, not only spending a lot of time at the keyboard but finding ways I could make my fingers reproduce my deepest feelings. It meant, when you hit a note with a finger, you sank into that note all the way to the bottom of the keyboard until it went pow! Right? ... — Lennie Tristano

The jazz musician's function is to feel, — Lennie Tristano

Dave Frank is one of the few people that can REALLY play! — Lennie Tristano

The hippest thing you can do is not play at all. Just listen. — Lennie Tristano