Best Miles Davis Quotes
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Topic: Best Miles Davis Quotes
Posted By: darkprinceofjazz
Subject: Best Miles Davis Quotes
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2012 at 10:25pm
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I Just re read the fantastic Miles Davis Reader, a book put out by Frank Alkyer, that compiles the many Down Beat Magazine Interviews and Blind Fold Tests he did, some of the quotes are priceless, It got me thinking about some of my favorites. here is one of them. "That's got to be Eric Dolphy, Nobody else could sound that bad! The next time I see him I am going to step on his foot, You can print that." This was a blind fold test from 1964 of the tune "Mary Ann" from the album Far Cry. no one could do a Down Beat blind fold test like Miles. It is ironic that Miles was not real fond of the Avant Garde at this point, and yet almost all the music to come from Miles after 1964 was heavily influenced by it, I wonder what Miles would have thought about his own Bitches Brew in 1964. |
Replies:
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 3:25am
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Miles appreciated the avant-garde, but he would never jump on someone else's bandwagon, he had to go his own route. A favorite quote of mine, paraphrased by me from memory, involved rehearsals with guitarist Mike Stern in the early 80s. Mike had a great background in bop, but apparently Miles told him "don't play that jazz sh*t, play this", after which Miles played him the new Van Halen record on a boombox.
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Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 3:29am
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Somthing like this:(paraphrasing whatever I remember) What Mal (Waldron) is doing with those German hippies (Embryo), that's some pretty interesting sh*t. ------------- my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicted musicians to crazy ones.... 
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Posted By: darkprinceofjazz
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 8:07am
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The first time I heard Dolphy, it was the Out There album I think, I had a similar reaction as Miles, Dolphy seems out of tune, I imagine Cecil Taylor has the same effect on many, even Monk must have sounded this way back in the late 40's, some never acquire the taste, I am glad I did. |
Posted By: darkprinceofjazz
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 8:21am
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Here is a quote from another Blind fold test from the same 1964 test, this was after listening to Cecil Taylor's "Lena" from Live at the Cafe Montmartre, a duet with Jimmy Lyons on alto, "Take it off, that's some sad sh#t, man, in the first place I hear some Charlie Parker Cliches....they don't even fit, is that what the critics are diggin? those critics got to stop having coffee, if there aint nothin to listen to, they might as well admit it", just to take something like that and say it's great because there aint nothin to listen to is like going out and getting a prostitute". |
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 9:06am
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^ I have an old Downbeat book that has that same blindfold test. Speaking of Monk and Miles, during their brief time together, Miles insisted that Monk not comp during Miles' solos due to Monk's odd accompaniments. I also have the album where Miles tells the producer to leave Monk's contrary remarks on the recording.
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Posted By: dreadpirateroberts
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2012 at 9:37pm
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Just to contrast some of the ample evidence of his large ego, I'm sure I've read something somewhere where he resisted being called a 'legend.' As if he was uncomfortable with it? Wish I had a quote to go with it. ------------- We are men of action. Lies do not become us. http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/dreadpirateroberts%28member%29.aspx?reviews=all/" rel="nofollow - Reviews... |
Posted By: Dylbean
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2012 at 1:42pm
 . This is particularly funny to me. I don't think I'd want him to comp under my solos either!
------------- There is no god, but music is pretty cool. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2012 at 6:12am
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"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." "If you understood everything I say, you'd be me!' Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/miles_davis.html#ixzz1m4gQrXLV" rel="nofollow - http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/miles_davis.html#ixzz1m4gQrXLV ------------- 
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Posted By: js
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2012 at 1:24pm
| ^ nice link, I like the Jimi and Elvis quotes too. |
Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2012 at 2:09pm
What about his comment to BB King concerning the length of John Coltrane's solos. BB autobiography has it. When Coltrane said he could not help it and Miles replied "Just take the  horn out your mouth".
I am running of memory here as the book went back to the library years ago but I always will remember that when BB King mentioned the conversation in the toilet they had.  ------------- Matt |
Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2012 at 2:14pm
 ------------- Matt |
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2012 at 2:57pm
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If you listen to that one album they did together, you can hear one part where Miles starts mimicking what Monk is doing on the piano (I guess Monk was allowed to comp on that one) and they sort of take off together for a bit, no doubt that Miles could appreciate or understand what Monk was doing, I guess he didn't want Monk dictating the direction of the music. Musicians are always a humble lot you know.
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 1:12am
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm |