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I think every Negro over fifty should get a medal for putting up with all that crap.

Miles Davis

You can’t compete with Sweets’ sound and time feel. It’s impossible.
MILES DAVIS

Feeling Impossible Sound Time Yourself
That was my gift having the ability to put certain guys together that would create a chemistry and then letting them go; letting them play what they knew, and above it.
MILES DAVIS

Ability Chemistry Known Play Togetherness
Bebop didn’t have the humanity of Duke Ellington. It didn’t even have that recognizable thing. Bird and Diz were great, fantastic, challenging – but they weren’t sweet.
MILES DAVIS

Challenge Greatness Humanity Recognition Sweet
There are no wrong notes in jazz: only notes in the wrong places.
MILES DAVIS

Note Place Wrong
You have to practice for a long time before you can learn to sound like yourself.
MILES DAVIS

Learning Practice Sound Time Yourself
If you sacrifice your art because of some woman, or some man, or for some color, or for some wealth, you can’t be trusted.
MILES DAVIS

Art Man Sacrifice Trust Woman Yourself
We don’t play to be seen. I’m addicted to music, not audiences.
MILES DAVIS

Addiction Audience Music Myself Play Seen
If you don’t know what to play, play nothing.
MILES DAVIS

Known Play Yourself
Do not fear mistakes. There are none.
MILES DAVIS

Fear Instrument Mistake Musician None One Liner
We’re not going to play the blues anymore. Let the white folks play the blues. They got ’em, so they can keep ’em.
MILES DAVIS

Music Play Sadness White
At least one day out of the year all musicans should just put their instruments down, and give thanks to Duke Ellington.
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Musician Oneself Thankful
First you imitate, then you innovate.
MILES DAVIS

Art Creation Imitation Innovation Yourself
In Europe, they like everything you do. The mistakes and everything. That’s a little bit too much.
MILES DAVIS

Acceptance Mistake Yourself
Play what you know and then play above that
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Known Music Play Yourself
I never thought Jazz was meant to be a museum piece like other dead things once considered artistic.
MILES DAVIS

Artistic Death Music Pieces
[Jazz musicians] feel comfortable with their clichés, you know.
MILES DAVIS

Comfortable Feeling Known

I think every Negro over fifty should get a medal for putting up with all that crap.

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I think every Negro over fifty should get a medal for putting up with all that crap.

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