218 Quotes by Miles Davis

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

Jazz is like blues with a shot of heroin!

Audiences - they like colour, you know. I can go out there wearing a red suit, man, and they'll say I'm out of sight ... I think they should be educated; you should always drop something on an audience ... When you get in front of an audience, you should try to give 'em something. After all, they're there looking at you like this. You can't go out and give 'em nothing.

All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal.

At least one day out of the year all musicans should just put their instruments down, and give thanks to Duke Ellington.

Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.

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

The music has gotten thick. Guys give me tunes and they're full of chords. I can't play them...I think a movement in jazz is beginning away from the conventional string of chords, and a return to emphasis on melodic rather than harmonic variation. There will be fewer chords but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them.

Always listen for what you can leave out.