From the book, The Making of Kind of Blue:

"Jassmen realized that outside of a relatively small circle of fellow believers, musicians, writers, and fans, there was little understanding of, interest in, or respect for this art form in America. And few became involved in the music because they thought they could become rich. There were other reasons to persevere; call it faith."

And some nice comments about art in general:

"...bop made much more obvious the importance of the intellect in creating this music (although as we shall see, the ability to turn off the mind ultimately became a skill of equal importance)"

"Technique exists for one reason only--to create a sound that reflects the musician's inner self."

Treat yourself and buy the Kind of Blue CD, as well as other CDs referred to in the book, and listen as you read.

One more quote:

"The accomplishments of Western civilization have too often been used as a weapon against other cultures."