Miles is always looking forward - to innovate. Wynton is focused on bringing the past back to the forefront. Love both players but they’re totally opposite in that respect
I appreciate how Miles said, "Maybe later..." offering that chance. 1987 is a long time ago, and Wynton has never stopped playing a variety of styles and compositions. I think Wynton composes, so perhaps we should hear those compositions. He is really marvelous at reflecting the history of American trumpeting.
Wrong. Miles was an avant garde artist. A master musician sits in an orchestra pit, which is fine. Wynton is so much more than that and deserves not to be snobbed at.
@@---wd3hpWynton is single handedly responsible for decline in jazz, toxic jazz neo-conservativism and narcissistic elitist attitudes that has reduced jazz to an academic cocktail profression.
I you know Miles, him repeatedly calling Wynton a good trumpet player means he’s telling the truth and it’s a sign of respect. Miles would not say someone was good if they weren’t. It’s more about willingness to go outside the box which Wynton does not favor and Miles lived for. Miles knew Wynton was good because, Wynton is really good, Miles didn’t throw false compliments around. It’s two schools of approach to music and we needed them both for the art to advance 👍
I love hearing Winton talk about music as a form of spiritual expression. He's investigating the roots while Miles is sitting atop the canopy gazing at the clouds.
What he meant was that Wynton played within the constraints of styles. Miles innovated and broke free from every style. Wynton is lazy in this respect because he is comfortable where he is even though he has the talent to go beyond. Maybe one day he will. Still waiting for that one day
@@CapoKabarthat's not laziness. To be able to play what Wynton plays requires endless practice, study and discipline...hes far from being lazy. If you were a musician you'd understand this and not make such an ignorant statement. Wynton plays what he plays because he loves tradition, wants to keep it going and there's nothing wrong with that. He doesn't feel the need to come up with something new and different just because dick heads like Miles think that's what a musician has to do to be relevant . It worked for Miles, bully for him but he doesn't represent nor speak for the entire jazz world. Wynton has done just fine on his own without the endorsement of Miles.
@@TheMalibuDar That's possible. OR...it could mean: "Play what you've NEVER heard anybody play before on that instrument." Who knows? I've uttered some deeply profound things when I was high on coke, too.
Miles has a point. At this point in their respective careers I thought of Wynton as the soul of technique and Branford as inhabiting the technique of soul.
How is he "the same"? He's definitely NOT just "precise" with "nothing extra". He can be very bluesy, very groovy, that's exactly a reason why I like his music so much.
💥 Exactly. Wynton Marsalis is the jazz police that believe only Americans can play Jazz, and jazz is only the music played in a 4/4 bar, and from New Orleans. For him, jazz fusion, latin, electronic, cool jazz, avant garde doesn't exist, but this way of thinking is deeply rooted on some American jazz artists. Currently, jazz is not a rhythm anymore. Jazz is a worldwide kind of music, a musical philosophy. ❤
@@DihelsonMendonca I hear you, bro... But Wynton has a point, too. If Americans took samba and transformed it into something new and universal, I bet many Brazilians would say that's not real samba. That does happen, actually! It happened with salsa (Cuban-Americans had to rebrand it in NYC so Cubans wouldn't be as pissed lol)
@@canastraroyal I hear you too. Well, the rest of the world transformed our Brazilian samba to their uses. I can hear in numerous recordings, and many times, people don't even know what is that. They did that with other our rhythms and styles, like Baião, which in English they call "Baion", and "Xote", and also our frevo. Also, Bossa Nova is a mixture of samba and jazz, but there's a mutual recognizing and respect. We don't mind people play and change our music. The history of Brazilian music looks like jazz: Slaves brought from Africa to work here centuries ago, brought their music, and here it was mixed with European music and harmony. So, several kinds of music was born. If we should be true to the history, we should credit the samba and many other styles here to black guys, but they never claime as authors. Brazil is a mix of several people, races, European whites, black people, and fortunately, we never had strong prejudice against any, because white people married to black ones, so, we one way or another, have white and black blood in our veins, so there's no room for any prejudice. So is in music. Music is for all. There are dozens of rhythms which are less known, as the "Choro", "Maxixe", "Xaxado", each part of the Country has it's own styles, and since it's a very big Country, often people from some states don't know how to exactly play the music of other states, but that's fine. With jazz, we introduced the art of improvisation in most of our music, beginning with bossa nova, but all other styles currently support creative approaches and improvisation. Meanwhile, the Japanese like to play bossa nova on their way, so the Europe and USA also. For our standards, their rhythm never achieves what we want to play. Brazilian drummers are so far ahead on this area, but unfortunately, they are not invited to play a real samba, or a real bossa nova. It's strange to listen to other people playing our music in less than good rhythmic division, but we are grateful for the choice, the taste and respect. In the jazz Real Book, there are several standards from the Brazilian music, from Tom Jobim, and others. Só, jazz has incorporated some of the Brazilian music, and we have also Incorporated some things from jazz. So, jazz really began in US, but currently, it was "adopted" and absorbed by numerous Countries, and currently we have "Fusion", which is a word to reune these many different styles. 🙏👍❤️
@@thekarmafarmer608 Its really neither insult nor compliment he's just being matter of fact.. basically calling him one-dimensional ... just saying he's a precise player, very good at one thing... and implying that it's fine and nice to be precise but he's missing dimensions of expression and something fundamental about individuality in expression. doesn't add anything new. is a high quality print, not an original canvas.
@@thekarmafarmer608 ok sure so maybe Miles *was* one of the best or was full of himself or whatever but that doesn't make what he was saying here disingenuous or inaccurate..
💥 Wynton Marsalis is the jazz police that believe only Americans can play Jazz, and jazz is only the music played in a 4/4 bar, and from New Orleans. For him, jazz fusion, latin, electronic, cool jazz, avant garde dont exist, or it's not jazz, but this way of thinking is deeply rooted on some "root" American jazz artists. Currently, jazz is not a rhythm anymore. Jazz is a worldwide style of music, a musical philosophy shared by mankind. ❤
He had to change his mind when he first heard 14 years old (at the time) Francesco Cafiso from Sicily (Italy). Also, he was pissed when brother Branford went to play with Sting. Classic Wynton...
The flip side of that is when you play music from the 1920s people tell you "that's not jazz, it's ragtime!" Well, no. The 1920s were called "The Jazz Age" and people at the time referred to that music as "jazz." If that doesn't make it jazz, I don't know what does.
@@davidcavalari226 Historians don’t define musical genres.. Jazz Age is a moniker. Jazz, the American style is defined by taking a composition and creating improvisation from it. After, that what you like or dislike is subjective regarding the mixture of approaches to the music. Wynton, and in fact all musicians and listeners focus on a style and period as reference for what would be called a foundation for themselves. Today, if you spoke to someone of a certain age about R&B the golden age would be the 60’s.. and if you’re going to study R&B you’d have to start there.. Wynton is a historian and a damn good one considering he actually hung out with history for the most part..
I’m not a musician but a lover of the art form called music ….music is about personal expression…nothing wrong with traditional classic jazz …but mankind evolves …even though music still favors tradition….very interesting topic!
One thing we should remember is that Wynton is classically trained. Have any of you heard him perform Trumpet Concertos with Orchestra? In 1987, he didn't have too many albums to his name. He had just finished recording his Standard Time Vol. 1. Wynton has come A LOONG WAY since that album. I feel he has found his own voice and he has so many great albums to his credit including Live. Wynton is a pure jazz musician through and through.
Mìĺes said it as nicely as it could be said ❤ We all know, as ìn̈ most pèoʻpĺe ŵĥoʻ know jàzz ķn̈ow or feel that they do, know what Miles conveyed with those words. Many fin̈è comments posted here ìn̈ðìcate as much.
@@frez777 .. like I said, Miles had a habit of belittling other musicians. 'soul' can't be defined; it's how the music moves you.. Davis was a product of the mean streets of NYC. there are many who will argue that he was no better than Chet Baker, but West Coast jazz is different. Marsalis is a product of the NoLa traditional school, and honestly THAT is the origin of jazz. Also, unlike Baker or Davis, Marsalis never needed the needle in the arm.
There is some truth to what he's saying, Wynton himself admitted a few years back he cringed at listening to a song of his in the 80's, but i think that he believes in preserving the "sanctity" of the music. Miles lived the time period that Wynton admired so his thought process was more so along the lines of innovation and pushing the creative envelope along. They both have served their purpose to music
I mean, you can't argue with Mile's take and you have to appreciate that he didn't chomp on the bait to inflame some kind of perceived rivalry. The difference between Miles and Wynton follows the differences between a pioneer and an expert, respectively. Experts get trapped in theory and are limited by what they think is understandable or traceable. Miles just followed beauty and didn't care to understand the metaphysical of it.
I've always viewed my favorite trumpet players as I would my favorite foods or drinks. It's the variety that makes things interesting. And thankfully I have options depending on what I'm in the mood for. I try to appreciate what each musician has to say musically and not get caught up in the subjective game of "who's better".
I'll just say this: I'd much rather listen to Miles than Wynton. This goes for speaking as well as playing. As Miles says, very precise. Wynton could certainly play rings around Miles as far as speed and technique but that doesn't matter. The fact that he had to record Cherokee just a little bit faster than Clifford tells me everything I need to know. I'm retired and cranky.
See I'm the opposite. Every once in a while I'm in the mood for Miles' minimalism, but it leaves me cold at times (too internalized). I'm more of a bop and West Coast fan. Miles is a giant, no doubt, and he changed Jazz, but he's not in my top 5 when compared to Lee Morgan, Diz, Bix, Louis or Clifford.
@@jamesrawlins735 Interesting... Wynton is the one who strikes me as cold, and Miles doesn't strike me that way, I don't understand it. I think more plaintive than cold. I never saw Miles play and certainly never met him, but I did see Wynton play and met him, he was fairly young and full of himself (that whole deal is another story by itself). I'm not sure that has changed over the years except for the young part. When I want me some soul from a jazz trumpet player I listen to Lee, as I see you do :) It's interesting, my top five jazz trumpet players are Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Jack Sheldon, Chet Baker and Andrea Motis... I love Louis and Bix but I don't listen to them very often. If you want to hear some poor jazz trumpet/flugel playing check out my channel :) I do bonsai, feature my pet duck, scat singing and up until recently, some jazz trumpet.
Miles moved the needle of jazz, several times. Winton preferred to step inside of a little skinny box, and bellyached whenever anyone tried to peek into it it to ask about giving him a bigger box
Agreed, Wynton should allow that as a compliment. I was told by an acquaintance who was present at the time. That Miles Davis said that EWF Larry Dunn was the sound of the band. In front of the band🤣🤣 Miles was brutal🤣
Come on man.. Really? So, because he’s taking education as a path rather than Miles path he’s less a musician? Are you a musician? Do you have a catalog that we can measure against Miles?
I love Wynton, but Miles is not wrong about what he's saying. Wynton does have a distinctive voice, but many players do. Wynton is a really really good player and that's enough.
I do not see how Miles' statement is arrogant at all, it actually is considerate and quite nice, considering how cocky Wynton tried to create beef and put himself on the same level as Miles. Looking back it is very obvious who is an artist and who not.
Respectfully, what I know about Wynton…Miles assessment is correct. Perhaps that’s his classical training or just his nature. Personally, I’ve always preferred players willing to take chances, especially live. Even throw out the odd clinker, but push the envelope to unexpected heights! 🇨🇦
Wynton since then has been able to play any style he wants, haha. I have heard him play three times and he is without a doubt the greatest trumpet player i've ever heard in person by a long shot. I never heard any of the old heads back in miles' day, so i'm sure i would be saying differently if i had. That being said, I would still put Wynton in my personal top 5 favorite trumpet players of all time still. Call it bias, but you can't deny how talented Wynton is and how good of a music educator he also is.
He has ventured in to so many fascinating projects. From playing classical trumpet concerts to Live at the Vanguard to being in a "Big Band" with Ruben Blades at Lincoln Center performing salsa and Latin jazz.
I felt similar to Miles, the first time I heard concert pianist Evgeny Kissin play. At first, Kissin's technical brilliance was undeniable to me, but I felt his playing lacked feeling. In the years since, Kissin's artistry came to match his technique. Alas, poor Wynton...
Miles is one of the most innovative jazz musicians of his age, and created one of the best Jazz albums ever recorded- Kind of Blue. Maybe the best. Marsalis is an excellent classical trumpet player.
Miles' dedication and love of the music, the art of music, is no more, or less than that of Wynton. Of that I am sure. Any other comparison is what you make of it
Not that I have heard everything that Wynton has recorded but it is like he is so skilled and knowledgeable that even when improvising he is in total control. I don't think anyone is going to say Wynton's style changed jazz forever. The flip side is there has been so much discovery with jazz it makes it kind of hard to come up with an earth shaking new direction.
I used to be a big fan of Wynton when I was younger but now he bores me--it's like jazz is the universal solution for everything with him, 'You know, jazz will take your kids to school!', 'Jazz can pay your taxes!' 'If you're going through a divorce, listen to jazz and you'll be fine'....
As Pat Metheny said, something somewhat troubling happened in 1982 when people came on the scene who were playing music for their parents. That is the story of WM.
The story of Wynton's life. Good trumpet player without anything extra. Of course, most people thought he was great because people pay attention to the next new thing, even if it's inferior to what came before it.
My belief is preference... everyone know Mr. Miles Davis and his sound. I'm fairly young at 50 plus and I just love Wynton's sound and style of playing. Trombone shorty is another monster for me.
Miles wasn't the only musician to say this about Wynton Marsalis. When I think of great virtuoso trumpeters (Woody Shaw, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard and others who came later) they knew the history but were also interested in moving forward. Marsalis is almost like a classical musician playing jazz in the way it's "supposed to be played". One of the things I love about jazz is it is values individual expression and innovation. I don't really hesr that from Marsalis, in any environment, even playing Ornette 's material or playing with Clapton. Great technician, though; but while I admire his slickness, I don't find his music that interesting to me. (I grew up with a lot of 60s and 70s free jazz.)
Nothing extra. That's interesting. In other words Wynton paints by the numbers or plays by the numbers and doesn't go out of the box. I plays inside the lines. No diss he is great but does not push the bounds of the music.
Miles was being nice here. 😅 I’ve always said that the Miles/Wynton juxtaposition was backwards: the old head was trying to move forward and innovate, while the young buck was stuck in the past. Yes, Wynton is a master trumpet player; possibly the most technically gifted jazz trumpet player ever. But it means more to me if you can play AND you changed music forever.
I completely understand what does it means. But what I do NOT understand is what this has to do with Wynton. He's completely capable of "pausing" and "playing as little as possible" and actually that was the reason he came to my radar and I became a fan of his many years ago when I saw some concert on tv, there was a solo of his in very minimalistic style. And since then I've heard so much of him, I never enjoy those "many notes players", Wynton ain't one of them. He has a special groove for sure. He definitely CAN pause. It doesn't mean that you should NEVER play "as many notes as possible", sometimes it sounds good.
I’d never criticise Wyntons playing- he’s a monster player versatile and technically accomplished. But Miles style and interpretation is unique and unmatched. It’s not about an amount of the notes it’s much more than that if you know what I mean
@@Paddy-power I know what you mean. That's exactly what I like in music. But what I'm saying is - I don't understand why Wynton is in the conversation about "amount of the notes". Every note he's playing has a meaning. There are so many trumpet players who sounds like they want to play as much (and as high) notes as possible, Wynton is not one of them.
I agree with Miles. The greatest artists have 😊something more than technical ability. It's a pronounced, original perspective or something. Marsalis doesn't have it; he is a maintainer, not an innovator. Technical ability is secondary, in fact. Think of Bob Dylan's vocals. Miles Davis has a forceful personality and perspective. He is a great artist.
marsalis is a good player ....just in the same way some of these classical guys can play well... but he doesnt bring marsalis to the table...what is marsalis but a copy of other people...that is what miles is saying and is 100 percent correct. he has no magic of his own....but that takes genius....winton is a technical wiz...but he aint bringing nothing...lkiek te people who play motzart or bach....they never bring anything...they just play well. art blakey, miles davis, charlie parker and john coltrane ARE MOTZARTS....
This is such an outdated and tired take. You should listen to some of Wynton's original records on the Blue Note Label in the late 2000's. Check out "From the Plantation to the Penitentiary" (2007), and "He and She" (2009), and tell me he's just a technical cat. Those are legit (and original) contributions to the modern jazz lexicon.
@@adamashforthdrums I just listened to from the plantation to the penitentiary.. there was some decent playing, but no magic, nothing special, the tune was bland, didnt even slightly rattle my soul in any way shape or form...i was hoping you were right, and giving you the benefit of the doubt, that maybe I had missed something...which would be nice if i did, as it would hand me some more jazz magic....listen to art blakey and the jazz messengers "free for all" ..i nearly broke down and cried when i heard that tune....listen to stuff like, these tunes hit hard , super hard and affect oyur life..wynton doesnt seem to have those kind of ideas...but thanks for the tunes anyway...ill listen to anything, because it is rare that i get to find a true gem, so always on the lookout.
@@runthomas Is the minimum criteria of any music you listen to is “it must rattle my soul, or bring me to tears”?That’s a high bar - what an exhausting listening experience. How can you listen to music frequently if you’re constantly crying through it? Seriously though, that’s awesome you listened to the title track straight away. Give some other tracks on there a try. I particularly like “Doin’ (Y)our Thing” (fantastic live version from their Cuba record), as well as Supercapitalism, and the ballad Love and Broken Hearts. As other commenters have said, The Black Codes of the Underground was his first landmark statement as an artist. His body of work entitles him to be respected as an authentic jazz artist and creator; not just a preservationist. What’s ironic is that Wynton gets criticized for having a stubborn and narrow minded view of what jazz is - hey, maybe you guys are more alike than you think!
@hforthdrums yes that is my requirement....but when you have been around as long as i have, you have built up a collection of thousands of amazing tunes...so no its not exhausting, its really enjoyable....as long as you keep them sorted organised. really its all about soul...and marsallis doesnt have it going on.
❤SOUL,that intangible magical ingredient that transcends technique and transforms music into something more than sounds;kind of like the difference between hi-tech lights and candles;one is efficient,clean,cool,with superior luminosity,the other,smoky,greasy,warm,with lysergic lambence;”got no soul,out in the cold,got no swing,ain’t got a thing”❤
But Wynton's scope-within the older tradition-did widen in subsequent years.He found and solidly built upon his niche. Not every musician is as adventurous in the same manner as Miles was.In fact very few are true musical pioneers,as he was for several decades.
I think the context of this is Wynton had been critical of Miles for going electric, which offended Marsalis' idea of the proper acoustic roots of jazz. Wynton's cultural conservatism comes through in his (perfectly nice, but) comparatively very derivative and unimaginative playing.
But Miles was always looking foward. Dude was in the forefront of almost every jazz movement since de 50s. He also put the spotlight over a lot os major jazz musicians of our time, Coltrane, Cannonball, Hancock, Shorter, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Mike Stern, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and several others. What did Wynton do? I think now, in the 2020s we can say that Wynton did not achieve a 10th of what Miles did. He is a good trumpet player that is always looking backwards, ignoring new styles of music and jazz expression. A really snobish guy in terms of music. He's a good trumpet player, though, as Miles says. But just that. We could also argue that he is a better trumpet player than Miles ever was. But who marked the jazz forever? Miles Davis.
Miles Davis had great imagination and everything that he played whether you liked it or not.. he proved that decades.. Winton plays with just a jazz sensibility.. and like Miles says he’s a good trumpet player.. when he did the album black code from the underground there was a spark of that creativity that could’ve been.. but he turned his back on it.. and that I believe was his mistake..
I remember a concert in 1986 when Davis was on stage and Marsalis walked on hoping to play but Davis shooed him off the stage. It was weird but that’s Miles. I would have liked to see them play together but Miles needs the spotlight.
No. It wasn't weird. It was a matter of RESPECT. The concert promoter told Wynton to walk out on stage during miles set and challenge him. Wynton came out and told miles "Hey, they told me to come out here..." and Miles told him to get the @%# off the stage.
At this point in his life, Miles Davis said he was bored with jazz. Marsalis is obviously a fantastic horn player. Stylistically though, it wasn’t Miles’s cup of tea.
He's saying Wynton didn't have his own sound. From what I've heard of Wynton, he's most interesting when he's playing either Dixieland or classical, but not Bebop.
I'm hopeless. While I recognize Miles as a unique innovator, I'll take Wynton and Jack Sheldon over his playing any day. Miles reminds me of Marlin Brando. Brilliant, unlike any other, but no fun most of the time. (Marlin at least knew how to be silly, once in a while). My favorite Davis tiny riff? The little intro into Eddie Mueller's Noir Alley. Wonderful to have that cool, cool open back again.
Basically the Ponzy scheme financier said, Marsalis was an academic (which mind you by and in itself a real achievement). While to him accounting is art
@@gie51917 AFAIK. I've seen it multiple times over the years. Freddie was pretty ferocious in his prime. I don't think Wynton would want to get in a cutting contest with him
This is accurate. But not everyone can be an innovator, or has a compelling unique voice in music, like Miles Davis. The same is true with Coltrane. Which tenor sax player sounds better than Coltrane, no matter how many transcriptions they have done.
Wynton tweaks his pitch and sings with different timbres and tones that mediate that golden sound. If a musician has technique at that level as Marsalis does then I respect their artistic choices.