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ignorance for where and how and why he is a genius
Wow, eight pages of this, and it's not about Bose 501s...HATE Mile Davis? Nope. Hate some of what he had done as a person? Probably. Dislike some of what he had said and done as a person? Absolutely.I know I love a lot of his music. My preference is his Columbia-stuff, from his first one for them, up to his walking (well, limping) away in '75. And I prefer his non-electric stuff in mono.Sad to see so many comments talking about his arrogance and dislike for the audience so misplaced. The guy was clearly a racist, and had plenty of justification for a heart full of hate. You want to rip on him for something tangible, stop trying to "get" his music, and go to the trouble of reading his interviews. Here is a case where reading is indeed fundamental.He did not turn his back on the audience out of contempt. He faced his band so that he could hear them, and his horn, better. Similar reasons why he played "into" the stage floor: better tonal quality, and introducing a bit more spacial effect.Walking off stage was simply a variation on an _old_ behavioral of show bands with a star: The band starts up, and plays a song or two, before The Draw comes out. Some of it is showmanship: Build-up, creating a little tension & excitement in the audience, and letting people in the lobby know they need to get their cheeks in their seats... Some of it is respect for the band. Miles put a lot of effort into getting his line-ups together. He picked them because he thought they were very good at what they did. He walked off stage to let the band do its thing, so the audience could see (well, hear) that they, the band members, where very good at what they did. Clearly, this fell on (some) deaf ears. There was a variation that he used to do. He would walk back out, come up behind a band member who was soloing, and hold up a sign with their name on it. Yes, that was a cue for the audience to applaud the band member. The band member, not Miles.I'm wondering if Ellington and Basie are going to get pilloried in their own threads for the some of these same behaviors, or if the "hate" of them will simply get folded into this one...
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.
Kind of Blue is the most over-hyped album of all time. I love Coltrane, the 1950s Davis a lot, but that album is just plain boring. Yep, the kings aren't wearing any clothes on that one.
I know how you feel. I feel the same way about Coltrane.
After reading these Davis books someone can inform, what tape speed Kind of Blue was recorded?
There are numerous refernces to Kind of Blue in the index. Unfortunately due to a recent move, I can't put my hands on my copy. The book is quite comprehensive and exceeds 350 pages (lots of pictures also). I just don't recall. I was moved to read the book abouit 20 years ago when I was trying to find out everything I could about him. Ray Charles's book is a good read also.
I will save you the disgust to read this book: there is an entire book about Kind of Blue and the most important factor for analogue sound quality is tape speed.Unfortunately this book dont inform this paramount detail.
