Miles Davis Jack Johnson question

[mjzee]

Something that's bugged me for the longest time.  In the sessions for Jack Johnson, all of Miles's compositions were given names of boxers: Johnny Bratton, Archie Moore, (Roberto) Duran, and Sugar Ray (take your pick of Robinson or Leonard).  And then there's Willie Nelson, whose name seems out of place.  Is Miles paying tribute to the country singer?  I did a search for "Willie Nelson boxer," and it turns out there is a Willie Nelson who's a boxer, but he was born in 1987.  So does anyone know?

[danasgoodstuff]

Miles was quite vocal in his admiration for Willie's singing, he recognized that he didn't phrase like a typical country singer at all but more like Miles himself.  That said the tune may well have been named after the fact, maybe even by someone other than Miles.  Not like Miles was going to explain it to you in any case.

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by danasgoodstuff

[Rooster_Ties]

Willie (‘the’ Willie) was apparently a bit of a boxer himself, at least in so much that Miles was one too. No idea if that’s the connection or not, but fwiw...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/willie-nelson-interview-always-look-for-hope/amp/

> Nelson says: "I have always been interested in keeping fit and doing boxing and wrestling. As a youngster, I loved Charles Atlas, Bruce Lee and Kung Fu. But when I lived in Nashville I switched to doing Taekwondo.

Miles is mentioned in passing, as well as  some more general thoughts on jazz by Willie.

[JSngry]

You CD/DL kids need to get your dad's We Want Miles LPs and open up the gatefold to see this picture of Miles in a Willie gimmehat.

 

and fwiw, both "Duran" and "Willie Nelson" first appeared on 1981's Directions, which I guess was something that CD kids have had a hard time finding?