Miles Davis Quotes

The way you change and help music is by tryin' to invent new ways to play

That was my gift . . . having the ability to put certain guys together that would create a chemistry and then letting them go; letting them play what they knew, and above it.

Food makes my mind sluggish.

If you love them in the morning with their eyes full of crust; if you love them at night with their hair full of rollers, chances are, you're in love.

If you hit a wrong note, it's the next note that you play that determines if it's good or bad.

It's like, how did Columbus discover America when the Indians were already here? What kind of s-- is that, but white people's s--?

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.

Don't be afraid of mistakes - There are none.

I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am one thing, a musician.

In improvisation, there are no mistakes.

In high school I was best in music class on the trumpet, but the prizes went to the boys with blue eyes. I made up my mind to outdo anybody white on my horn.

The only reason to write a new song is because you're tired of the old ones.

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

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

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

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

If you understood everything I say, you'd be me!

I always listen to what I can leave out.

I still got my Ferrari.

I don't like to hear someone put down dixieland. Those people who say there's no music but bop are just stupid; it shows how much they don't know.

Coltrane, you cant play everything at once!

If you're trying to be hip, be hip.

If you have to ask, you'll never know.

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.

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

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

Play what you know and then play above that

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

There are no wrong notes.

You can't eat a winner's plaque.

We're not going to play the blues anymore. Let the white folks play the blues. They got 'em, so they can keep 'em.

It's always been a gift with me, hearing music the way I do. I don't know where it comes from, it's just there and I don't question it.

I think the greatest sound in the world is the human voice.

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

So What or Kind of Blue were done in that era, the right hour, the right day. It's over; it's on the record.

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

Keith, how does it feel to be a genius?

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.

With "We Are The World," I can't even eat when I watch that on television. If I'm eatin' some food, I have to put it down. I feel very strongly about that.

I said to [Lionel] Richie, "Man, my wife says you must really respect women because you write such beautiful love songs."

I'm out there doing the best that I can, My lip is cut and I'm still playing.

I gave the album [You're Under Arrest] to Quincy Jones and he loved "D Train". We couldn't call it "D Train"; it's called "MDI/Something's On Your Mind/MD2". That's on the album.

Trane was the perfect saxophonist for Monk's music because of the space that Monk always used. Trane could fill up all that space with all them chords and sounds he was playing then.

Dave [Holland] plays the way he wants to play. And it's usually what's needed. You know, Dave is such a deep thinker. You can't tell him too much, else it might spoil his spirit, you know.

The music speaks for itself!

It takes you years to learn how to play like yourself.

Music is an addiction.

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!"

Jazz is an Uncle Tom word. They should stop using that word for selling. I told George Wein the other day that he should stop using it.