Stan Getz

The saxophone is an imperfect instrument, especially the tenor and soprano, as far as intonation goes. The challenge is to sing on an imperfect instrument that is outside of your body.

I played in rhumba bands, mickey mouse bands; all kinds of bands.

Life is too full of distractions nowadays. When I was a kid we had a little Emerson radio and that was it. We were more dedicated. We didn't have a choice.

Records used to be documents, but now record companies want product.

My dark sound could be heard across a room clearer than somebody with a reedy sound. It had more projection. My sound always seemed to fill a room.

If you like an instrument that sings, play the saxophone. At its best it's like the human voice.

I came from an era when we didn't use electronic instruments. The bass wasn't even amplified. The sound was the sound you got.

You don't rehearse jazz to death to get the camera angles.