Early Influence
Elwood Buchanan – Miles' high band director and first trumpet teacher
One of the most prominent features of Miles sound is his lack of vibrato. This trait goes all the way back Buchanan (or Buch, as he was known).
“Buch had a little ruler with leather all wrapped around it, and [when Miles would use a vibrato] he'd hit him, and say, 'Stop shaking that note—you're gonna shake enough when you get old.” - Clark Terry
Clark Terry – St. Louis trumpeter
Miles met Terry through Elwood Buchanan. Terry acted both as Miles' friend and mentor, introducing him to many of St. Louis' musicians.
“I started to play like him. I idolized him.” - Miles
“The main one must have been Terry.” - Miles on his influences
“Clark Terry and Dizzy—those were my idols.” - Miles
Bebop Innovators
Thelonious Monk – Bop pianist
Monk was one of the innovators of bebop. A club called Minton's Playhouse in Harlem was a popular hang out for him and other musicians. Miles also hung out there—learning all he could about the music.
“Thelonious Monk wrote out chords for him.” - Ian Carr
Dizzy Gillespie – Bop trumpeter
Dizzy, also a bebop innovator, is also considered one of the first jazz educators. He too would hang out in New York's jazz clubs.
“It was Dizzy who made me really learn to play piano.” - Miles
“Clark Terry and Dizzy—those were my idols.” - Miles
Charlie Parker – Bop alto saxophonist
Miles was in Parker's band where he learned many valuable lessons about music and life.
“Bird said you could do anything with chords.” - Miles
Coleman Hawkins – Swing and bop tenor saxophonist
Hawkins (AKA Bean) was another of the popular musician on the New York scene. Miles became Bean's favorite trumpeter at the time.
“I loved playing with Coleman Hawkins ... nobody played like Bean.” - Miles
Lester Young – Swing tenor saxophonist
“I learned a lot from the way he played the saxophone. As a matter of fact, I tried to transpose some of his saxophone licks over to my trumpet.” - Miles
Sidemen
John Coltrane – Tenor saxophonist
Trane and Miles had a special bond. Firstly, Coltrane was Miles favorite saxophonist of all time. Plus, their styles seemed very complimentary—Miles tended to play simple lines with lots of space, while Coltrane was famously fast and complex licks (sometimes described as “sheets of sound”). Miles
“...Trane was the only player who could play those chords I gave him without them sounding like chords.” - Miles
Bill Evans – Pianist/composer
Evans attracted Miles' attention due his light, classically-influenced style. Evans was not a regular member of the band for very long (just a few months), but his Impressionistic style was one of the key factors to the success of Kind Of Blue.
“Bill brought a great knowledge of classical music, people like Rachmaninoff and Ravel. He was the one who told me to listen to the Italian pianist Arturo Michelangeli, so I did and fell in love with his playing.” - Miles
Wayne Shorter – Tenor saxophonist/composer
Wayne Shorter came to Miles through the recommendation of Coltrane. He played with Miles for six years and became the main composer of the group. His compositions were at the same time difficult, melodic, and very innovative.
“...Wayne was the idea person, the conceptualizer of a whole lot of musical ideas...” - Miles
“Wayne also brought in a kind of curiosity about working with musical rules. If they didn't work, then he broke them...” - Miles
Other
Gil Evans – Composer/arranger
Evans was a gifted and innovative arranger—often incorporating non-jazz instruments (like French horn and tuba) into his arrangements. Miles and he made several albums together that incorporated more symphonic groups.
“I used to write and send my scores to Gil for evaluation. Gil used to say they were good, but cluttered up with too many notes. I used to think you had to use a lot of notes and stuff to be writing.” - Miles
“You could take one of Gil's scores, and you won't need to go to any school. You just look at the way he voices and moves—contrary motion and s**t like that.” - Miles
Betty Davis – Composer/Singer; Miles' wife (1968-1969)
In 1968 Miles married his girlfriend, funk/soul singer Betty Mabry. She was a fiery woman with musical tastes much different than Miles. She introduced him to rock music.
“She introduced Miles to Jimi Hendrix's music and kind of opened that avenue up for Miles and got him interested in rock 'n' roll.” - Herbie Hancock
“Musically, philosophically, and physically she was a extreme and attractive, you know, so I can see why Miles changed so drastically ... everything changed, it all happened within a peroid of just three to six months.” - Carlos Santana
Jimi Hendrix – Rock guitarist
Miles and Hendrix spent a lot of time together in the late 60's. Though Hendrix did not read music, they were able to trade musical ideas by ear.
“He influenced me, and I influenced him, and that's the way great music is always made. Everybody showing everybody else something and then moving on from there.” - Miles
