Miles Davis, 1962

Not sure why I've been holding on to this for so long. I've had this interview with Miles saved for posting for months and have been waiting for the right time to put it up. Over 5 months later I still haven't done it.

Stumbled across it one day and found it incredibly fascinating. It's as much a look at race relations in 1962 as it is a discussion of the jazz scene. Here's a sample grab that touches on both topics.

PLAYBOY: Are there any particular places or clubs that you don't like to play?

DAVIS : There are plenty I won't play! I won't take a booking nowhere in the South. I told you I just can't stand Jim Crow, so I ain't going down there in it. There's enough of it here in the North, but at least you have the support of some laws.

I won't play nowhere I know has the kind of audiences that you waste your breath to play for. I'm talking about them expense-account ofays that use music as a background for getting high and trying to show off to the women they brought. They ain't come to hear good music. They don't even know how to enjoy themselves. They drink too much, they get loud, they got to be seen and heard. They'll jump up and dance jigs and sing. They ain't got no manners -- don't pay their women no respect. What they really want is some Uncle Tom entertainment if it's a Negro group on the stand. These are the kind will holler, "Hey, boy, play "Sweet Georgia Brown!" You supposed to grin and play that. I hate to play in a place full of those kind of squares so bad that if there wasn't nobody else to play to, I'd invest in some more property and just stay home and collect rents. I can't stand dumb-ass people not respecting the other customers that have come to hear the music. Sometimes one table like that has bugged me so that when I get home or to my hotel, I walk the floor because I can't sleep.

The complete interview is well worth the read.



Wow. Just came across this NPR Tribute which can be downloaded free. Listening to it now, it's steady music behind Miles' life story. Plenty of interviews and anecdotes... good stuff.

Been meaning to check out this NPR music site for awhile now (and post about it too.) It hasn't been up long but it has a ton of great stuff. In fact, this is the song of the day featured on the homepage as of Sunday night. I'll have to get over here a little more often.