Customer Reviews

Miles on Miles: Interviews and Encounters with Miles Davis (Musicians in Their Own Words)

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Hardcover,326 pages. This book covers interviews with Davis from 1957(a publicity piece done by Columbia Records) thru 1998(a short piece on "Dingo"). In between there are pieces done for everything from The Jazz Review to Newsweek to Rolling Stone to a radio interview. There are only two pieces from the fifties and four from the sixties. As Davis became "popular" the interviews increased throughout the seventies and eighties.

The interviews cover some of the same ground that a lot of Davis' fans are familiar with. But in some of the interviews there are revelations not generally known about Davis. One interview I wished could have been reprinted was the 60 Minutes piece from 1989,but CBS wouldn't allow it. Other famous pieces done by DownBeat could not be published either. However,interviews from DownBeat can be found in another book titled "The Miles Davis Reader Interviews and Features From DownBeat Magazine". Together,these two volumes contain a lot of good reading(and pondering)for anyone interested in what made Miles Davis "tick".

Another thing that would have been nice is the inclusion of photographs. There are reproductions(small)of magazine covers in which a few of the pieces were published. Even so,this book is a good look into Miles Davis' world as he wanted us to see it,and it's nice to have them all together.

"Miles On Miles," is a book that does something rare in our times, it allows an important man the opportunity to explain himself and his art; and in the case of a complex artist like Miles Davis this was much needed. Paul Maher and Michael Dorr have compiled 28 interviews with Miles that span his entire career, and the subject matters embrace Music, Jazz Labels, Music Critics, Race, Art, and America. The author's deftly prepare the reader with an incisive introduction that readies us to consider what truly lay beyond and inside an artist who had been labeled with dubious monikers such as, " Prince of Darkness" and "Picasso of Invisible Art." The interviews are refreshing, especially in today's politically correct era. Sure, Davis is at times surly, but he is forthright and willing to examine his own motives and drives; he is not interested in trying to get people to like him, Davis is a serious artist who can't worry about pleasing the listening public. Unlike most of today's commercial musicians, he is willing to talk about racial issues, politics and the state of America, Miles' honest expressions were the articulations of a fearless,courageous man. He is sorely missed today as musicians of talent are constantly insulted and rejected by the business driven forces of popular music. If only Miles could have had a word with them. After finishing this book, I listened to my Miles Davis cd collection for the rest of the night - what more can I say. This book is a must for those that love Miles' music, and for those on the verge of being there. A fascinating read, thanks to Maher and Dorr for a fine job.