Quotes from Branford Marsalis

The piano is the X factor. People have a tough time following the structures when there's no piano there, spelling it out. It makes it more easily understood, particularly to people who don't know as much about music.

It's something that jazz has gotten away from, and it's unfortunate. Players aren't physical anymore.

It's hard to get into Newsweek because, as more of our former intellectual magazines take on a pop focus, if there's no buzz, there's no interest.

I think that one of the problems that jazz has is that it's so incestuous that it's starting to kill itself.

If it's not going to sound like Terrapin Station, what's the point of playing Terrapin Station?

I'm not going to play funk licks on a jazz album. That makes no sense.

You hear it in your brain. Whatever makes sense. Some songs work well as quartet songs, sometimes they don't.

That's kind of like how jazz is sometimes. You're out there predicting the future, and no one believes you.