17 Quotes & Sayings By Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and arranger. He is one of the most influential and enduring figures in the history of jazz, with a career spanning over half a century. Miles Davis was a pioneer of bebop and the first to lead a major post-war resurgence of jazz as a form of advanced music. Widely considered to be one of the most important and influential musicians in the history of jazz, Davis helped to popularize bebop, cool jazz, and modal jazz through his performances and recordings Read more

In 1999, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as "one of the most influential musicians in British history".

1
I’m always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up in the morning and see the light. Miles Davis
2
The very first thing I remember in my early childhood is a flame, a blue flame jumping off a gas stove somebody lit.. I remember being shocked by the whoosh of the blue flame jumping off the burner, the suddenness of it.. I saw that flame and felt that hotness of it close to my face. I felt fear, real fear, for the first time in my life. But I remember it also like some kind of adventure, some kind of weird joy, too. I guess that experience took me someplace in my head I hadn't been before.. The fear I had was almost like an invitation, a challenge to go forward into something I knew nothing about. That's where I think my personal philosophy of life and my commitment to everything I believe in started.. In my mind I have always believed and thought since then that my motion had to be forward, away from the heat of that flame. Miles Davis
3
It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note — it’s the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong. Miles Davis
4
My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life. Miles Davis
5
Do not fear mistakes, there are none. Miles Davis
6
If you understood everything I said, you’d be me Miles Davis
7
It’s like, how did Columbus discover America when the Indians were already here? What kind of shit is that, but white people’s shit? Miles Davis
8
A lot of people ask me where music is going today. I think it's going in short phrases. If you listen, anybody with an ear can hear that. Music is always changing. It changes because of the times and the technology that's available, the material that things are made of, like plastic cars instead of steel. So when you hear an accident today it sounds different, not all the metal colliding like it was in the forties and fifties. Musicians pick up sounds and incorporate that into their playing, so the music that they make will be different. . Miles Davis
9
I always listen to what I can leave out. Miles Davis
10
A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. Miles Davis
11
Don't play what's there play what's not there. Miles Davis
12
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. Miles Davis
13
For me, music and life are all about style. Miles Davis
14
I know what I've done for music, but don't call me a legend. Just call me Miles Davis. Miles Davis
15
I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life. Miles Davis
16
Do not fear mistakes. There are none. Miles Davis