Miles Davis Quotes - Page 4

When the band plays fast, you play slow; when the band plays slow, you play fast.

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

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

If you don't know what to play, play nothing.

I'm not messing around with nobody's woman. If I want a woman I go get her - you know what I mean?

Jazz musicians are so comfortable. The reason they can't do what we do is because they're so comfortable doin' what they do.

Sometimes, if you ask people to "go downstairs and get me this or that," they'll say, "It's rainin" or "It might rain," or "There's some bumpy roads on the road," or bla-bla-bla. They give you all those excuses, so when they do something which is easy, you're supposed to say, "Damn, you did that?"

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.

The music has gotten thick. Guys give me tunes and they're full of chords. I can't play them...I think a movement in jazz is beginning away from the conventional string of chords, and a return to emphasis on melodic rather than harmonic variation. There will be fewer chords but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them.

The thing to judge in any jazz artist is, does the man project and does he have ideas.

You can tell whether a person plays well or not by the way he carries the instrument, whether it means something to him or not.

I mean, it makes me sick when I see a white man sitting there smiling at me being entertaining, man. When I know what he's gonna do after he gets through. You know, when you see that thing on their face - like: "Entertain me." You know what I mean? Even the black guy that's trying to be white - even he can have that crap on his face.

When you work with great musicians, they are always a part of you . . . their spirits are walking around in me, so they're still here and passing it on to others.

I still got my Ferrari.

Music is an addiction.

Keith, how does it feel to be a genius?

Look, man, all I am is a trumpet player.

There are no wrong notes.

In Europe, they like everything you do. The mistakes and everything. That's a little bit too much.

Do not be afraid of errors. There are no errors.

Music is a funny thing when you really come to think about it.

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.

I don't care if a dude is purple with green breath as long as he can swing.

Certain drummers drop time, and I like to play on top of the beat.

If I hear a song like "Time After Time." I'm sittin' there lookin' at video and Cindy Lauper comes on singin' this song. I said, "God damnnnnn!"