"Jazz is not just about improvisation; it's about storytelling."
This quote by Cecile McLorin Salvant emphasizes that jazz is more than just spontaneous musical expression, it's a form of narrative art. In other words, jazz musicians don't just create music on the spot, they tell stories through their performances. These stories could be personal, cultural, or universal, making jazz a unique and powerful medium for expressing emotion, history, and ideas.
"Art shouldn't be afraid to be beautiful."
This quote by Cecile McLorin Salvant emphasizes the importance of artistic expression that embraces beauty as a key aspect. It suggests that art, in all its forms, should not shy away from expressing or evoking feelings of beauty, aesthetically pleasing qualities, or harmonious experiences for its audience. This perspective encourages artists to create works that are both meaningful and emotionally stirring while celebrating the power of art as a tool for uplifting, inspiring, and providing solace in our complex world.
"I feel that we're all part of this grand tradition and I think our responsibility as artists is to pass that on, but also to push it forward."
This quote suggests that according to Cecile McLorin Salvant, artists are not only inheritors of a grand tradition (a body of knowledge, skills, or styles in art) but also have a duty to preserve and transmit it. However, they should not just replicate the past; their role extends to evolving this tradition, pushing its boundaries, and propelling it into new, innovative territories.
"To be a jazz singer, you have to listen and learn from the past, but you also have to look to the future."
This quote signifies the balance required in artistic evolution for a jazz singer or, by extension, any artist. The past is crucial as it provides a foundation and rich tradition of knowledge, innovation, and style. By learning from the past, artists pay tribute to their forebears while gaining wisdom that informs their craft. However, the future is equally important. It represents growth, change, and the opportunity to make one's own mark in the world. To look towards the future means continuing to challenge oneself, experimenting with new ideas, and pushing boundaries to create something unique and meaningful. In essence, this quote underscores the importance of both honoring tradition and embracing innovation in the pursuit of artistic excellence.
"I like to play with words, find meanings within them, and present them in new ways."
This quote by Cecile McLorin Salvant underscores her creative approach towards language. She sees words not just as simple units of communication but as vessels of meaning, ripe for exploration, reinterpretation, and transformation. Her artistic process involves delving into the intricacies of words and their connotations to present them in fresh, innovative ways. This quote highlights her ingenuity, intellectual curiosity, and penchant for artistic expression.
My dad was born in Haiti, and my mom was born in Tunisia. She is the daughter of a white French woman and a black, half-Guadeloupian, half-American man. My mom traveled the world a lot. She went through Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. She just got to experience a lot of different cultures, and that came through my childhood.
- Cecile McLorin Salvant
Eventually, the more I listened and became obsessed with singers, I feel like the more I realized that I had my own little thing that I could do. So this is why I just became obsessed with looking for new singers, unknown singers, people that maybe have been forgotten, and really checking them out and analyzing what they do.
- Cecile McLorin Salvant
Jazz sometimes can be really complicated and inaccessible to people because they don't know what to start with. You can start with something that you love, but if you start with something that you hate, then it's like, 'You know what, I hate jazz.' It took me a lot of time to catch on to jazz, too.
- Cecile McLorin Salvant
I had a hole in my voice. I still do. We call it a hole, but it's an area in the voice where it's air. And my classical teachers were just so frustrated with me because I would have these deep, low notes that were really strong, and the higher register was strong, but right in the middle area, it was really hard.
- Cecile McLorin Salvant
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