You’re only as good as your last record.
Meaning of the quote
You're only as good as your last record. This quote means that your past achievements don't matter as much as your most recent work. It's important to keep doing your best because people will judge you based on your latest accomplishments, not on what you've done in the past. No matter how successful you've been before, you have to keep proving yourself over and over again.
About David Sanborn
David Sanborn was an acclaimed American alto saxophonist who blended jazz with pop and R&B, playing on albums for many famous artists. He won six Grammys and was known as one of the most commercially successful saxophonists since the 1980s, despite disliking the term ‘smooth jazz’.
More quotes from David Sanborn
Instrumental music is increasingly marginalized and there’s just no outlet, there’s no venue for it, in terms of media.
American saxophonist
You’re only as good as your last record.
American saxophonist
Its all about finding the right note at the right place and knowing when to leave well enough alone. And that’s a lifelong quest.
American saxophonist
When you have an acoustic bass in the ensemble it really changes the dynamic of the record because it kind of forces everybody to play with a greater degree of sensitivity and nuance because it just has a different kind of tone and spectrum than the electric bass.
American saxophonist
Well, I guess my unease with that is… I’m always a little uneasy with that phrase – smooth jazz, as opposed to what?
American saxophonist