heartbeatocean said:

Yikes. That's a tall order.
People have written books on those subjects.

Reader's Digest version:
After he got from under Dizzy and Bird's fast/hectic bop style, his personal playing style was always about space, less is more.
Not a constant stream of notes, just the right ones. The antithesis of his idol Dizzy.

Davis understood that the space between the notes was sometimes just as important as the notes themselves.
~ Genius Guide to Jazz (July 2001)


The other part of it is his sound.
In another contradiction, directly opposed to his hard-ass public persona (Prince of Darkness), his lighter (compared to many of his contemporaries) trumpet sound was very delicate, sensual and haunting (aided by a non-vibarto muted approach). You could almost consider it at times feminine.

That's until the end of the 60s anyway when he threw another curve ball (this one aimed squarely at the heads of the Jazz intelligentsia) by taking on a hard edged electrified wah-wah/echoplexed horn sound and dropping it right in the middle of a Rock/Funk stew.

If I had to break the answer down to its smallest components:
1. His maverick approach to making innovative music
(changing its course at least 4 times and braving the slings and arrows in the process)
Each time becoming the river from which other great musicians and bands would flow.

2. The sound of his horn. 2 or 3 notes max and you know it's Miles.
(developing a unique and distinct personal voice, probably the hardest thing a musician can do)

3. The Uber-cool personality (how he talked, how he dressed, etc.)

4. His ability to remain an active & valid artist through 6 decades.

There, I gave it a shot.
I'm sure others can add more perspective.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

I love it when I hear something, perceive something and intuit something and then someone else comes along and confirms it with language. I mean, I hear greatness but I can't rationally describe what it is that sounds great.

I also like what you said about a musician creating a distinct personal voice. I have thought a lot about that and find it puzzling, but I understand it better now.

heartbeatocean said:

You've got good instincts.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

heartbeatocean said:

that, to me is the coolest part of the clip. The both of them are being themselves. Miles isn't trying to rise to playing with Prince, and Prince isn't trying to rise to playing with Miles.

Lesser musicians might adopt each others styles to create a more seamless or flashy performance (like a country singer rapping), but Miles is totally uncompromising. I wouldn't say that what he plays here is revolutionary, but it's part of the Miles legacy, Miles canon, Miles style--something unmistakeable from the first moment.

And to Prince's credit, he doesn't expect anything else, and simply does his thing, too, rather than try to overtly jazz it up.

heartbeatocean said:

Yikes. That's a tall order.
People have written books on those subjects.

Reader's Digest version:
After he got from under Dizzy and Bird's fast/hectic bop style, his personal playing style was always about space, less is more.
Not a constant stream of notes, just the right ones. The antithesis of his idol Dizzy.

Davis understood that the space between the notes was sometimes just as important as the notes themselves.
~ Genius Guide to Jazz (July 2001)


The other part of it is his sound.
In another contradiction, directly opposed to his hard-ass public persona (Prince of Darkness), his lighter (compared to many of his contemporaries) trumpet sound was very delicate, sensual and haunting (aided by a non-vibarto muted approach). You could almost consider it at times feminine.

That's until the end of the 60s anyway when he threw another curve ball (this one aimed squarely at the heads of the Jazz intelligentsia) by taking on a hard edged electrified wah-wah/echoplexed horn sound and dropping it right in the middle of a Rock/Funk stew.

If I had to break the answer down to its smallest components:
1. His maverick approach to making innovative music
(changing its course at least 4 times and braving the slings and arrows in the process)
Each time becoming the river from which other great musicians and bands would flow.

2. The sound of his horn. 2 or 3 notes max and you know it's Miles.
(developing a unique and distinct personal voice, probably the hardest thing a musician can do)

3. The Uber-cool personality (how he talked, how he dressed, etc.)

4. His ability to remain an active & valid artist through 6 decades.

There, I gave it a shot.
I'm sure others can add more perspective.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Excellent, Audience! For those still a little lost on this concept, please check out Miles' Kind of Blue and In A SIlent Way for starters. Then listen closely to Sting and the Police's "Walking on the Moon" and Prince's "When Doves Cry", "Kiss", and "Sign of the Times". Oh yeah and the late JBs "Cold Sweat"(whose horns took it's theme from Miles' "So What") All were built on the concept of space and "less is more!"

Smittyrock70 said:

The "less is more" thing always turns me on -- if we're talking about painting, poetry, music or whatnot. I'm curious about that Police song you mention...

heartbeatocean said:

Oh yeah! Sting loved Miles, JB, and especially Hendrix! According to one of his interviews, Jimi was the first artist he saw live and heaviliy influenced his musicianship! Sting based his "Walking On the Moon" on Miles' concept of space! Beautiful Song!
[Edited 1/2/07 3:18am]