14 Miles Davis Quotes on Music

Miles Davis quotes on music

1. 'For me, music and life are all about style.'

2. 'I've changed music four or five times. What have you done of any importance other than be white?'

3. 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.

6. 'Jazz is like blues with a shot of heroin'

7. 'Who's that motherfucker? He can't play shit!'

9. 'He plays like somebody is standing on his foot.'

10. 'He could very well be the Duke Ellington of Rock 'n' Roll.'

11. 'Why'd you put that white bitch on there?'

12. 'You can't play anything on a horn that Louis hasn't played.'

15. 'There are no wrong notes.'

16. 'My ego only needs a good rhythm section.' On being asked what he looked for in musicians.

18. 'Try taking the fucking horn out of your mouth.'

19. 'It's that goddamned motherfucking 'Machine Gun.''

20. 'Don't play what's there, play what's not there.'