Eddie Condon quotes:

[Louis Armstrong] could play a trumpet like nobody else, then put it down and sing a song like no one else could.

As it enters the ear, does it come in like broken glass, or does it come in like honey?

Brubeck, for instance, is not careless. He's a studied guy. And even if his picture ends up on the back cover of Life, he's still a studious guy.

Ted Lewis could make the clarinet talk. What it said was put me back in the case!

Paul Desmond sounds like a female alcoholic.

Finally Beiderbecke came out with a silver cornet. He put it to his lips and blew a phrase. The sound came out like a girl saying 'yes'.

As it enters the ear, does it come in like broken glass or does it come in like honey?

They flat their fifths, we drink ours.

For a bad hangover take the juice of two quarts of whisky.

Krupa's drums went through us like a triple bourbon.

This all came of a conversation I had with [John] Steinbeck once when we were standing in a men's room somewhere. Steinbeck asked me why I didn't play the banjo any more and I told him that went out with the high-button shoes.