Jump to content

My Funny Valentine - the Miles Davis album


skeith

Recommended Posts

Mark, didn't Miles talk about Herbie, Ron, and Tony always harassing Coleman about his "too straight" playing in his "autobiography"? I thought that's where I read about them taking Coleman to a club after hours to play a gig with them. He duly ripped the paint off the walls which shocked them all. When they confronted him later they asked him why doesn't he play like that all the time, he responded with something like, "because I don't like to".

Does anyone else recall this story, or where I may have heard or read it?

Edited by Scott Dolan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 98
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Scott: I remember Miles writing that Tony didn't like how straight George played -- hence Sam Rivers coming into the band on Tony's recommendation -- but I can't remember whether Miles ascribed the same attitude toward Herbie and Ron. I'll check Miles's autobiography when I get home. That after hours story is new to me, so if anyone has a reference I'd be curious to know the source

Edited by Mark Stryker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mark, didn't Miles talk about Herbie, Ron, and Tony always harassing Coleman about his "too straight" playing in his "autobiography"? I thought that's where I read about them taking Coleman to a club after hours to play a gig with them. He duly ripped the paint off the walls which shocked them all. When they confronted him later they asked him why doesn't he play like that all the time, he responded with something like, "because I don't like to".

Does anyone else recall this story, or where I may have heard or read it?

I recall reading it before. Not where.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scott: I remember Miles writing that Tony didn't like how straight George played -- hence Sam Rivers coming into the band on Tony's recommendation -- but I can't remember whether Miles ascribed the same attitude toward Herbie and Ron. I'll check Miles's autobiography when I get home. That after hours story is new to me, so if anyone has a reference I'd be curious to know the source

Please do.

I swear I read it in the Miles auto.

Then again, like you and everyone else, I've heard so many things from so many sources. Hard to keep them straight. :)

Mark, didn't Miles talk about Herbie, Ron, and Tony always harassing Coleman about his "too straight" playing in his "autobiography"? I thought that's where I read about them taking Coleman to a club after hours to play a gig with them. He duly ripped the paint off the walls which shocked them all. When they confronted him later they asked him why doesn't he play like that all the time, he responded with something like, "because I don't like to".

Does anyone else recall this story, or where I may have heard or read it?

I recall reading it before. Not where.

Good!

I'm glad I'm not alone in this.

And if we both recall it, there has to be something there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's like everybody's forgotten about In Europe or something. I like that one a lot more than either of the Philharmonic Hall albums, individually or collectively. In fact Four & More tends to bore me, relatively speaking...too much of a good thing, perhaps (and definite overexposure due to years of innumerable Tony Wannabees insisting on rocking it on roadtrips...YIKES!).

But that In Europe set (and it's companion bootleg), that stuff is fresh there, and just as loose, maybe looser. And it's a longass LP too, over an hour on just two sides, not too much, just right, you get all you came for. Value for your jazz entertainment dollar, and guaranteed - GUARANTEED - high fidelity.

I realize I'm in the minority on this, but oh well, hey, too late to turn back now. Submitted for your consideration and all that...better cover, too, especially in mono.

miles-europe-front-cover-1800-ljc.jpg

Comments like this are what make hanging out here worthwhile. I'll have to listen to In Europe again. It's been quite a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Miles in Europe is great... though the box version is superior because it has "Bye Bye Blackbird". I think of this recording (as well Cote Blues and the other live recordings from the summer of 1963) as bridging the 1961 band with Hank/Wynton/Paul/Jimmy with the more progressive sounds of the 1960s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shit hit the fan when George Coleman left. Tony Williams never liked the way George played, and the direction the band was moving in revolved around Tony. Tony didn't liked George because George played everything almost perfectly, and Tony didn't like saxophone players like that. He liked musicians who made mistakes, like being out of key. But George just played the chords. He was a hell of a musician. Tony wanted somebody who was reaching for different kinds of things, like Ornette Coleman

My first choice to replace George was Wayne Shorter, but Art Blakey had made him musical director of the Jazz Messengers and he couldn't leave then. So we hired Sam Rivers.

We travelled to Tokyo to play some concerts over there. It was my first trip to Japan. We played Tokyo and Osaka. 'Ill never forget my arrival in Japan. Flying to Japan is a long-ass flight. So I brought coke and sleeping pills with me and I took both. Then I couldnt go to sleep so I was drinking, too. When we landed there were all these people to meet us at the airport.

We're getting off the plane and they're saying, Welcome to Japan, Miles Davis, and I threw up all over everything. But they didn't miss a beat. They got me some medicine and got me straight and treated me like a king. Man, I had a ball, and I have respected and loved the Japanese people ever since. Beautiful people. They have always treated me great. The concerts were a big success.

Edited by .:.impossible
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a copy of the Osaka concert with Rivers, and the official Sony Tokyo release. I sure wish my copy of the Osaka concert sounded better! Tony is very distant. His cymbals sound mostly like white noise. Ron is clear, but quiet. The horns and the piano sound fine, but there is quite a thick blanket of hiss.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...