My People Are Americans. My Time Is

I Want To Say At Once That I Frankly Believe That Irving Berlin Is The Greatest Songwriter That Has Ever Lived.... His Songs Are Exquisite Cameos Of Perfection, And Each One Of Them Is As Beautiful As Its Neighbor. Irving Berlin Remains, I Think, America's Schubert.

True Music Must Repeat The Thought And Inspirations Of The People And The Time.

Porgy Is...an Interesting Example Of What Can Be Done By Talent In Spite Of A Bad Setup. With A Libretto That Should Never Have Been Accepted On A Subject That Should Never Have Been Chosen, A Man Who Should Never Have Attempted It Has Written A Work That Has A Considerable Power.

Jazz I Regard As An American Folk Music; Not The Only One, But A Very Powerful One Which Is Probably In The Blood And Feeling Of The American People More Than Any Other Style Of Folk Music.

My People Are Americans. My Time Is Today.