Jazz music is a language of the emotions.

In high school I was on the basketball team, but the coach did something I didn't dig and the next day he looked up and saw me practising with the football team.

Jazz music is a language of the emotions.

I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with all the discrimination they ran into.

I am Charles Mingus, half black man, not even white enough to pass for nothing but black. I am Charles Mingus, a famed jazzman, but not famed enough to make a living in this society.

Everything I do is Mingus.

I never heard my music played the way I heard it in my head.