FROM THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MILES DAVIS: "...I find that many of the old jazzmen are great lazybones: they resist every change and hold fast to their old positions because they are too lazy to seek something different... the old musicians stay where they are and become museum pieces, under glass, safe and easy to understand, intent on playing their outdated junk endlessly. And then they go around saying that electronic instruments are blowing all music and traditions to pieces. Well, I am not like that, and neither were Bird or Trane, or Sonny Rollins or Duke or anyone who wanted to continue being creative. Bebop was change, revolution. It wasn't about staying still and playing it safe. If you want to be creative, you must have the courage to change. Living is an adventure, a challenge. When people come to me and ask me to play 'My Funny Valentine' and old stuff I did when they were fucking some girl and the music made them feel good, I can understand them. But I tell them to go buy the record. I am no longer stuck there and I must live for what is best for me and not for what is best for them... Even if I wanted to play these old pieces, I wouldn't be able to find people capable of playing them in the old style anymore."
the problem is that this applies to many young or current musicians, let alone old jazz musicians... of course he said it more than thirty years ago, so it must be framed in that time, but it is something that is also noticeable today 😉
J
JazzMania
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Reply 3 by JazzMania
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116
Miles was able to follow his artistic path (brilliant and unique, no one denies that) without being forced to play politics since he was the son of a wealthy bourgeois family.
For the others he mentions, perhaps life was a little more stingy... and I've said my piece 😉
Miles was able to follow his artistic path (brilliant and unique, no one denies that) without being forced to play marketing games since he was the son of a wealthy bourgeois family.
For the others he mentions, perhaps life was a little more stingy... and I've said my piece 😉
I quote. From a great artist (and from someone who had much from life) I would expect understanding rather than judgments on colleagues whose main goal was not to become stars but simply to survive.
Sure ... if anyone were listening to me ... a nice alibi 😉
