[jazzyguytheone]

Lee has never changed but Miles changed drastically from a bopper to a fusion jazz person. Lee has always been the same sort of a jazz "smooth" guitar player. I like his stuff. his JVC vinyl records especially.Miles changed drastically from what he was in the 50s and 60s from what he was before he passed on. Compare his "Kind Of Blue" to what he was in the before he passed on.

[mav52]

I keep listening to all of his records, hoping, PRAYING, that, someday I will "get it".  But I never do.  I mourn the time lost on this endeavor. If only I could connect with it the way I do with Charlie Parker or Coltrane.  But alas, every time I listen to Miles I just feel like it's so much note spinning.  I've gone from ignorance to exposure to questing to apathy to hatred.  If Miles was my only exposure to Jazz, I'd hate Jazz.  Why do people love him so much?  I don't know.  But he's (IMO) the epitome of ego jazz.  Just have the band play in the background while I "genius solo" out front.  Bleh, sux azz.

Wow hate is a pretty big word, do you know the man personally to actually hate him, anyway his music , well that is a personal choice. 

[jimdgoulding]

"I hate the taste of liver, but absolutely love pate".  I know what you mean.  Miles stayed with the times.  Reckon you have to do that to sell records and keep getting paid.  And isn't it the nature of a creative artist to evolve?  Surely, no one can dislike ALL of his work.  That ain't even rational.  Well, unless that person never liked jazz in the first place.

[firedog]

Saying you hate Miles Davis is like saying you hate Beethoven.

[jazzyguytheone]

Saying you hate Miles Davis is like saying you hate Beethoven.

I agree!

[Kenneth Patchen]

Beethoven the St Bernard? Who could hate him? What's wrong with you people?? Jeez.

Anyway, ignoring for a moment the long, long list of unbelievable alumni who came to full bloom while studying at Miles Davis University, and ignoring all the great quintet Prestige recordings (Workin', Steamin', etc.) let's just look at the electric period, which seems to be the work most disliked by Davis' critics). Some jazz musicians are performers, some are composers, others are artists who work without a net, and many aspire to be a member of what Miles called 'Star People'. Miles Davis was all that and much more. As a visual artist, he revered Picasso and seen through the lens of a Picasso, a revisit of My Funny Valentine would have resulted in a bitches brew of jagged shards of new, unexpected sounds and rhythms. Small wonder he wanted to contribute to moving the art form forward, especially if there was a big paycheck waiting at the end of the day. Change is good and change is what true artists do as they take leave of the familiar and comfortable and journey into uncharted territory. And in part, we have Betty Davis and Hendrix to thank for funkin' him up and sending him on an electric path in search of a larger stadium rock audience. In doing so, he not only launched the careers of some of today's most successful jazz guitarists, most famously McLaughlin, Scofield, Stern and Robben Ford, but he changed the landscape of both jazz and rock music forever. Fasten your seat belt and take a quick listen to the cut glass shredding on the first cut of Mike Stern's (2009) Big Neighborhood. Yo Miles, indeed! The influence continues. It is certainly a much bigger neighborhood now, made bigger by Miles Davis and that could only be a good thing. Outsized talents often have outsized demons and such was the case for Davis. Not all of his electric period work is noteworthy but there's real gold there for someone willing to take the time to listen. We Want Miles remains a turn it up to 11 recording for me and I believe I'm a better person for it. Yo, Miles! (You too Beethoven. Love ya, buddy. Arf!)

[Tyson]

I still hate Miles, but the people posting to this thread all rock!  Great discussion.

[ctviggen]

I have one Miles CD, but usually skip it when it comes up for my random play.  I have a hard time getting into Jazz for some reason.  Now, going to see it is a different story.

[Rob Babcock]

Interesting discussion!  The only album of his I have is "Kind of Blue."  I like it but I'm not over the moon for it.  I'd rather listen to Sonny Rollins or "Cannonball" Adderly when it comes to jazz of that era.  Hell, I'll admit to preferring Brubeck!

While I guess I don't agree with Tyson that Davis is greatly overrated I do understand where he's coming from.  Tonite I went to see "Get On Up", the James Brown biopic.  The film itself was wonderful, highly recommended.  But while I understand the impact Brown made on music it doesn't connect with me at all; everything I've heard from him strikes me as forgettable.  Legend or no, no artist speaks to everyone.

[ltr317]

The thing I don't like about Miles was his arrogant attitude toward a live audience.  I saw him in concert a couple of times, and in several instances he would either turn his back to the audience or walk off the stage during a song.  I remember distinctly in one instance, he started playing a song and after two minutes or so, he slowly walked off the stage and came back two tunes later, while the band played on.  That's slapping the face of paying customers. 

[Scottdazzle]

I worked a room at the Capital Audio Fest. I brought about 100 LPs and CDs of many types of music for visitors to choose what to listen to.  Guess what got the most requests… Miles Davis Kind of Blue.   And by a wide margin. I was quite surprised. Plus, whenever it was on, folks came into the room from the hall.  So whatever you may think about Miles, there are a plenty of audiophiles who do want to listen to his music. Some of it anyway.

[jimdgoulding]

I worked a room at the Capital Audio Fest. I brought about 100 LPs and CDs of many types of music for visitors to choose what to listen to.  Guess what got the most requests… Miles Davis Kind of Blue.   And by a wide margin. I was quite surprised. Plus, whenever it was on, folks came into the room from the hall.  So whatever you may think about Miles, there are a plenty of audiophiles who do want to listen to his music. Some of it anyway.

I think it's Miles later period that has some jumping off his bandwagon.  I think some of his fans felt betrayed.  Then, there are those who were never fans that resent him.  Modesty was not in his vocabulary.  This negro did not know his place.  Read his autobiography and those of you who would be offended will surly be more so.  He didn't kow-tow to anything and that kind of freedom and lack of appreciation for it- what we sometimes call arrogance- just pisses mainstream people off.  Anybody who would dispute that he was an artist extraordinaire just can't see the forest for the trees.

[Tyson]

I know nothing about Miles Davis' personality or behavior (all of that was before my time), and I still dislike almost all of his music.  Some of the early stuff is not bad, and thanks to this thread for pointing me in that direction. 

[a.wayne]

Hate No,  not my cup of tea ................... 

[macrojack]

Why hate a musician? If you don't like the music, disregard it. Unless we are talking about a hate charged bag of shit like Ted Nugent - then hate might be a an appropriate response.

The music I own by Miles Davis is OK and sometimes it hits the spot but I can't say I think to play it very often. It ranks along with dozens of other things that many people rhapsodize about but I find mystifying. Ballet and opera are fine art which leaves me scratching my head. Country and rap, on the other hand, are openly condemned in my listening room. Kind of Blah.

[jimdgoulding]

Miles in Europe (Columbia) is a pretty darn good jazz album.  Sketches in Spain (Columbia) is a pretty darn good album period.  The man was a phenomenal instrumentalist.

[youknowyou]

I think op just is biased with miles.

I used to be like that, until I stop wondering why miles is supposedly the best trumpet player of his era and just lsitne to what he plays

IMO, he is the most original and unique player. Hes so nonchalent yet always rightt on the money

Hes got the blues, and not a lot of player has it.

His ballads on KOB, Walkin ect are just unbeatable.


I mean, his solo on KOB. How can you hate that.

Crazy how biasing can affect judgment and taste. I used to be like that, until I get it.

[youknowyou]

Interesting discussion!  The only album of his I have is "Kind of Blue."  I like it but I'm not over the moon for it.  I'd rather listen to Sonny Rollins or "Cannonball" Adderly when it comes to jazz of that era.  Hell, I'll admit to preferring Brubeck!

While I guess I don't agree with Tyson that Davis is greatly overrated I do understand where he's coming from.  Tonite I went to see "Get On Up", the James Brown biopic.  The film itself was wonderful, highly recommended.  But while I understand the impact Brown made on music it doesn't connect with me at all; everything I've heard from him strikes me as forgettable.  Legend or no, no artist speaks to everyone.

you prefer miles to brubeck?
lol
lets just say you dont like miles okay.
doesnt make sense for someone who loves jazz.

[youknowyou]

And if you don't like Miles, IMO it does not mean you don't "get it". A person isn't necessarily ignorant when it comes to such a subjective form of art. It either moves/speaks to you or it doesn't. And if it doesn't (like for me, I don't like such icons as Elvis, Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, John Lennon after the Beatles, and many more), it's no biggie. Just leave them in the dust and move on. Not worth expending emotion on. Way too much else out there to satisfy your groove.

when it comes to miles davis, yes it is from ignorance, not personal taste.

ignorance for where and how and why he is a genius.
Its like someone saying he dont like coltrane. well dude, im sorry to say, but you just dont get it. nothing wrong with that, but you simply have not listen to him enough to understand him.

[a.wayne]

Well i have tried myself and i dont get it , ok , there i admitted it , again

My issue with Miles is not his playing , he does have that touch , its the dreary music that drags on forever , its like Hayes without the cool ....


Meh .....