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Every man prays in his own language.

— Duke Ellington Section title and eponymous song of A Concert of Sacred Music (1965)

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More quotes by Duke Ellington

Roaming through the jungle of "oohs" and "ahs," searching for a more agreeable noise, I live a life of primitivity with the mind of a child and an unquenchable thirst for sharps and flats.

Music Is My Mistress (1973)

It's like an act of murder; you play with intent to commit something.

Playing "Bop" is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.

My band is my instrument more than the piano.

It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).

Song title (1932)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Duke Ellington (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.