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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

A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I’m still doing it.
MILES DAVIS

Known Man Myself Old
If you don’t know what to play, play nothing.
MILES DAVIS

Known Play Yourself
When the band plays fast, you play slow; when the band plays slow, you play fast.
MILES DAVIS

Play Slow Speed Yourself
When kids don’t learn about their own heritage in school, they just don’t care about school… But you won’t see it in the history books unless we get the power to write our own history and tell our story ourselves.
MILES DAVIS

Children Heritage History Learning Ourselves Story
In high school I was best in music class on the trumpet, but the prizes went to the boys with blue eyes. I made up my mind to outdo anybody white on my horn.
MILES DAVIS

Best Discrimination Musician Myself White
You can’t compete with Sweets’ sound and time feel. It’s impossible.
MILES DAVIS

Feeling Impossible Sound Time Yourself
It took me twenty years study and practice to work up to what I wanted to play in this performance. How can she expect to listen five minutes and understand it?
MILES DAVIS

Expectation Herself Instrument Musician Performance Practice Time Understand
Music is an addiction.
MILES DAVIS

Addiction Music One Liner
It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.
MILES DAVIS

Musician Notes Play Yourself
I usually write from the rhythm section…If a drummer got a funky beat on some things – like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or a backbeat that’s even – I can write something.
MILES DAVIS

Myself Rhythm Writing
You have to know 400 notes that you can play, then pick the right four.
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Music Play Right Yourself
I ain’t no entertainer, and ain’t trying to be one. I am one thing, a musician.
MILES DAVIS

Entertainment Musician Myself Trying
It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.
MILES DAVIS

Change Creation Safety Stand Yourself
Some day I’m gonna call me up on the phone, so when I answer, I can tell myself to shut up.
MILES DAVIS

Answer Call Myself Phone
Do not fear mistakes. There are none.
MILES DAVIS

Fear Instrument Mistake Musician None One Liner
In other words, an instrument should be an extension of you; it’s supposed to sound like you – the way you walk, the way you dress, you know.
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Sound Walk Way Yourself

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Miles Davis Quotes