Elijah Kelley

I can move, but I've never background-danced for anybody.

I used to set out and do a film and say, 'This is going to be the biggest film I've ever done.' But that's not the right approach. The approach should be the work.

I grew up in a really small town: LaGrange, Georgia. There weren't a lot of creative outlets there, so I did local castings.

I always dreamed of writing in an orchestral context. But when you finish a piece, you want to hear it. So we played everything with Phish.

If you're not having a good time, find something else that gives you some joy in life.

When I have to compete with John Coltrane and Miles Davis and Louie Armstrong on iTunes, which I'm doing now, that's a problem. That means that jazz is not being heard by younger audiences.