Wild 1985 Miles Davis Interview

[Mark Stryker]

http://www.guardian....rocks-backpages

This was new to me. Miles is very chatty. A lot of b.s. in here of course, but some stuff to make you think too, streaks of Truth and truthiness. All of it entertaining. He must have liked the author, Richard Cook.

Edited November 20, 2012 by Mark Stryker

[robertoart]

Well this interview has been posted here twice recently, but got lost in the board upgrades. Some of the things I found interesting I posted into the Liebman thread. Namely that if Davis had a definite Pop melody project in mind, then his initial choice of musicians for the second Electric phase seems counter-intuitive.

As for Richard Cook, his own commentary in this interview seems sycophantic to say the least, and probably just what Davis wanted to hear. This is the same Richard Cook who labelled Marvin Cabell's playing 'wretched'. I also noticed, during a recent scan of an old Wire magazine review, Richard Cook (in a review of one of those Phillip Morris tours,) also describing Jon Faddis's musical histrionics as 'wretched' as well. I would have thought someone who (in all likelihood), received the full benefit of the toffee English public school system - and then most likely Cambridge or Oxford - would have had a better repertoire of critical insults. Thank god he wasn't a musician, Miles might have hired him for the band.

[Niko]

whatever it means... (from here)

"When his mother moved to East Anglia, Cook remained in London and lived with his older sister while attending Latymer Upper School from 1968 to 1974. Though his father was a Cambridge graduate and despite his own excellent academic record, he opted not to go to university, a decision that set him apart, sometimes abrasively, from the mostly graduate commentators he encountered in the media."

[Mark Stryker]

Apologize for missing recent postings and references in the Liebman thread. As for sycophantic interviewers, sometimes with difficult or mercurial artists they can actually get the best results rather than the truly informed or challenging interviewer who can unwittingly sometimes throw a subject into a defensive frame. I'm not suggesting that Cook is only acting the sycophant here but only that whatever is going on, MIles sounds more relaxed and forthcoming than he could be. Of all people, Larry King sometimes got similar results on his old TV show. Famous people, particularly those in the midst of some controversy, or those with a "troubled" history or a track record of an antagonistic relationship with the media, knew they were not going to be seriously challenged or pushed on the show, so they would often open up far more than in the context of other media questioning.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Mark Stryker

[robertoart]

whatever it means... (from here)

"When his mother moved to East Anglia, Cook remained in London and lived with his older sister while attending Latymer Upper School from 1968 to 1974. Though his father was a Cambridge graduate and despite his own excellent academic record, he opted not to go to university, a decision that set him apart, sometimes abrasively, from the mostly graduate commentators he encountered in the media."

I think it means quite a bit. Especially in relation to music criticism, and the arts in general. Although over in England I get the impression that Ronnie Scott's generation represented a kind of working class 'everyman's' response to Jazz. While Richard Cook's generation was very much an intellectual /academic response. Although it seems Cook was a bit of an outsider initially, if this obit is accurate.

Therefore, to a certain extent, it looks like I've been driven into the covers. Still, he's old man went to Cambridge...so the boundaries been saved at least

On the positive side, his dissatisfaction with Deleuze and Guattari references in writing about Improv suggests he may have been a Zizekian

[robertoart]

Apologize for missing recent postings and references in the Liebman thread. As for sycophantic interviewers, sometimes with difficult or mercurial artists they can actually get the best results rather than the truly informed or challenging interviewer who can unwittingly sometimes throw a subject into a defensive frame. I'm not suggesting that Cook is only acting the sycophant here butonly that the whatever is going on MIles sounds more relaxed and forthcoming than he could be. Of all people, Larry King sometimes got similar results on his old TV show. Famous people, particularly those in the midst of some controversy, or those with a "troubled" history or a track record of an antagonistic relationship with the media, knew they were not going to be seriously challenged or pushed on the show, so they would often open up far more than in the context of other media questioning.

Yes I see your point. Certainly when I first read it, I thought it one of the more interesting interviews with Miles. I also was picking up on the fact Cook said just enough to claim Miles new music was a more welcome direction than where he ended up at the end of the first Electric period. Then again, for a writer who lived through the full experience of the British Punk and New Wave movement - and the big influence the Harmolodic/Punk Jazz era had in Europe - he possibly had some collateral damage and felt the new Miles music a bit of a relief. But Electric Miles part-2 only had peripheral -if any- connection to either of those scenes. I wonder how he (Cook) responded to the other extremes of Marsalis and Zorn?

Edited November 21, 2012 by freelancer

[paul secor]

It seems that Miles had enough ego for 10 (20-30?) musicians.

[Steve Reynolds]

maybe some of you want to read the Penguin guides to see where Cook and Morton are coming from

[king ubu]

I quote that lovely poetic piece from above:

"Still, he's old man went to Cambridge..."

(sorry, couldn't resist )

[robertoart]

I quote that lovely poetic piece from above:

"Still, he's old man went to Cambridge..."

(sorry, couldn't resist )

Yeah, it's a bit of a dig

maybe some of you want to read the Penguin guides to see where Cook and Morton are coming from

I don't. I'd rather read about it here.

Maybe you could regale us with your opinion about where they were coming from.

Read Cook's Blue Note book by any chance?

Edited November 22, 2012 by freelancer

[robertoart]

I also remember reading (I think an English critic), say that at the time of Blood Ulmer's Are You Glad To Be In America album, Davis refused to play any Festivals that booked Ulmer's bands. The critic - at the time - said this was more of a reflection on Miles current music than Ulmer's.

Obviously this wasn't Richard Cook. Who, however, had nice things to say about Tales Of Captain Black and Of Human Feelings I do believe.

Edited November 22, 2012 by freelancer

[MomsMobley]

Aren't they singing hooks, not melodies?

"Just hooks? Well, you see," says Miles, putting down his pen, "the way you're talkin', Richard, it's from listening to too many tapes. And all that shit starts running together. Of course there's hooks in songs. But there's still melodies to be played. I got one of them on that tape over there … what's that thing by Toto, something about Africa? That's a nice melody! I can play that melody!

featuring David (son of Marty) Paich