harmonicanick
994 posts
Nov 09, 2010
10:23 AM
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Just read an interview with Herbie Hancock, who is still touring at 70!
Anyway, talking about when he was keyboards for Miles and was asked what kind of band leader he was:
'Miles never told anyone in the band what to do. He would use metaphors and tell us that we had to figure out what he meant. He would say things like, ''You know sometimes you walk to the kerb and you get ready to step off-and then you go back another way'' Makes you interpt it your way.
A recollection of Davis's perverse advice to the great guitarist John McLaughlin ''Play the guitar like you don't know how to play''
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hvyj
813 posts
Nov 09, 2010
2:31 PM
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While I certainly wouldn't compare him to Miles Davis, this reminds me of an older authentic blues player originally from the deep south (U.S.) who I used to play with regularly. He passed away a few years ago which was a great loss.
Anyway, his blues band never played any tune the same way twice and as a band leader he never told me what to do or play. I was given enormous artistic freedom, BUT he would occasionally tell me what NOT to do and what NOT to play, and when he did, I was expected to pay close attention to what was said. Very interesting way to learn.
One gem of wisdom he passed along was: "The blues goes up, but the minor goes down." Understand what he meant by that and you understand the difference between playing blues and playing in a minor key.
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tf10music
16 posts
Nov 09, 2010
3:46 PM
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I remember watching a herbie hancock interview and he said that the best lesson he ever learned was when he was improvising with miles on stage and he played a completely discordant note. Miles just changed his playing to make that note sound right -- completely open to adaptation, completely fluid.
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ZackPomerleau
1263 posts
Nov 09, 2010
8:56 PM
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One of THE best bands EVER was Miles with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. Of course, his group with Trane, Philly Joe Jones, Red Garland, and Paul Chambers was pretty smokin', too! Personally, I like that group better...
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DevonTom
149 posts
Nov 09, 2010
9:18 PM
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I used to be in a band with bass player Harvey Brooks, who played on Bitches Brew, who told me the rehearsals consisted mostly of watching Jack Johnson boxing matches!
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ZackPomerleau
1265 posts
Nov 09, 2010
10:35 PM
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Of course, I know of Harvey! Miles would only have them record for around an hour, then they would leave. He wanted them to be fresh musically. Miles' next album was the Jack Johnson album (which is incredible). It was just guys jamming and then Miles walked in, and then Herbie. All on the spot impromptu.
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Diggsblues
590 posts
Nov 10, 2010
10:35 AM
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I remember in college I had a class called jazz styles
that look at solos of different jazz players.
Miles was one of them. He became a big influence on my playing after that class.
"You know why I don't play ballads? I like them
too much" Miles Davis
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Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
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walterharp
489 posts
Nov 10, 2010
7:44 PM
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the liner notes from the complete bitches brew cd collection suggest a bit more direction from miles( in a conceptual way) than some of the posts here suggest
one thing for sure is he did not have to play much to completely turn the band around. they were all listening hard to him
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ZackPomerleau
1268 posts
Nov 10, 2010
8:00 PM
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Diggs, I've heard that quote...I've even heard it as "You know why I don't play songs I like" or SOMETHING. I'm not sure. ahahah
Walter, I'm getting my information from audio interviews I heard on the radio on the anniversary. One of the members said Miles would seriously have the guys in for an hour or two a day then leave so they'd all be fresh for ALL of the sessions. Personally, I don't 'dig' much of that stuff...not "Bitches Brew" at least. I do love Nefertiti, though.
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