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White folks always think that you have to have a label on everything – you know what I mean?

Miles Davis

I’ve always told the musicians in my band to play what they know and then play above that. Because then anything can happen, and that’s where great art and music happens.
MILES DAVIS

Art Greatness Music Play
Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.
MILES DAVIS

Be Yourself Musician Play Time
Look, man, all I am is a trumpet player.
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Man Myself Player
Do not be afraid of errors. There are no errors.
MILES DAVIS

Afraid Errors Inspirational Mistake Perspective
I like Stan [Getz], because he has so much patience, the way he plays those melodies – other people can’t get nothing out of a song, but he can, which takes a lot of imagination.
MILES DAVIS

Imagination Myself Patience People Play
People will go for anything they don’t understand if it’s got enough hype.
MILES DAVIS

Enough Hype People Understand
Play what you know and then play above that
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Known Music Play Yourself
I’ll play it first and figure out what it’s called later.
MILES DAVIS

Music Myself Name Play
It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.
MILES DAVIS

Musician Notes Play Yourself
If you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note that you play that determines if it’s good or bad.
MILES DAVIS

Determination Note Play Wrong Yourself
Certain drummers drop time, and I like to play on top of the beat.
MILES DAVIS

Musician Myself Play Time
Some musicians play with their heart, you know what I mean? I don’t know what to tell a person that can’t – if you can’t tell a person what you’re talkin’ about when they’re rushin’ or droppin’ the tempo, you get somebody else.
MILES DAVIS

Heart Known Musician Person Play Yourself
It takes a long time to sound like yourself.
MILES DAVIS

Sound Time Yourself
I used to enjoy all the white bands when I was a kid listening to the radio. But the record companies, they take music and label it – like, they say “rock”. Because the white singers can’t sound like James Brown, they call him “soul”. They’ve been doing that for years. That’s the prejudice crap.
MILES DAVIS

Enjoyment Listening White
All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal.
MILES DAVIS

Idol Inspirational Myself
I always listen to what I can leave out.
MILES DAVIS

Leave Listening Myself
If you’re not nervous then you’re not paying attention.
MILES DAVIS

Attention Nervous Pay Yourself
Always look ahead, but never look back.
MILES DAVIS

Forward Future Past See
What’s swinging in words? If a guy makes you pat your foot and if you feel it down your back, you don’t have to ask anybody if that’s good music or not. You can always feel it.
MILES DAVIS

Down Feeling Foot Goodness Music Word Yourself
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
Jazz musicians are so comfortable. The reason they can’t do what we do is because they’re so comfortable doin’ what they do.
MILES DAVIS

Comfortable Music Reason
I ain’t no entertainer, and ain’t trying to be one. I am one thing, a musician.
MILES DAVIS

Entertainment Musician Myself Trying
I don’t like to hear someone put down dixieland. Those people who say there’s no music but bop are just stupid; it shows how much they don’t know.
MILES DAVIS

Known Music Myself People Stupidity
You can’t eat a winner’s plaque.
MILES DAVIS

Eat Win Yourself
I don’t care if a dude is purple with green breath as long as he can swing.
MILES DAVIS

Appearance Care Himself Myself
You can’t play anything on a horn that Louis Armstrong hasn’t played.
MILES DAVIS

Horn Instrument Play 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.
MILES DAVIS

Challenge Greatness Humanity Recognition Sweet

White folks always think that you have to have a label on everything – you know what I mean?

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White folks always think that you have to have a label on everything – you know what I mean?

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