Quote

Always listen for what you can leave out.

Miles Davis

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Miles Davis
Age: 65 †
Born: 1926
Born: May 26
Died: 1991
Died: September 28
Actor
Autobiographer
Bandleader
Composer
Conductor
Film Score Composer
Jazz Musician
Musician
Recording Artist
Songwriter
Television Actor
Alton
Illinois
Miles Dewey Davis III
Miles Dewey Davis
III Davis
Always
Listen
Leave

More quotes by Miles Davis

Image
In other words, an instrument should be an extension of you it's supposed to sound like you - the way you walk, the way you dress, you know.
Miles Davis
Image
Jazz is like blues with a shot of heroin!
Miles Davis
Image
I said to [Lionel] Richie, Man, my wife says you must really respect women because you write such beautiful love songs.
Miles Davis
Image
You have to know 400 notes that you can play, then pick the right four.
Miles Davis
Image
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.
Miles Davis
Image
They [police] do me like that all the time! What you work for?.
Miles Davis
Image
Tom Jones is funny to me, man. I mean, he really tries to ape Ray Charles and Sammy Davis, you know. He's nice-looking he looks good doing it. I mean, if I was him, I'd do the same thing. If I was only thinking about making money.
Miles Davis
Image
You ever hear Buddy Miles play the drums? You know, he doesn't vary the tempo at all.
Miles Davis
Image
Catch Harry Belafonte. He's got a helluva rhythm section.And so have the Pointer Sisters. And that little guy with Sammy Clayton. He plays the whole show with 40 members.
Miles Davis
Image
If you understood everything I say, you'd be me!
Miles Davis
Image
If you have to ask, you'll never know.
Miles Davis
Image
I began to realize that some of the things Ornette Coleman had said about things being played three or fours ways, independently of each other, were true because Bach had also composed that way.
Miles Davis
Image
I've gotten hernias from drummers when they drop tempo.
Miles Davis
Image
What's swinging in words? If a guy makes you pat your foot and if you feel it down your back, you don't have to ask anybody if that's good music or not. You can always feel it.
Miles Davis
Image
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.
Miles Davis
Image
As long as I've been playing, they never say I done anything. They always say that some white guy did it.
Miles Davis
Image
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.
Miles Davis
Image
If you don't know what to play, play nothing.
Miles Davis
Image
You can't play anything on a horn that Louis Armstrong hasn't played
Miles Davis
Image
Keith, how does it feel to be a genius?
Miles Davis