Miles on Miles

September 8, 2008
Davis was regarded by many as, in the words of one journalist, “the wickedest, canniest, deepest, slickest, baddest musician” of the last century, and Maher (Kerouac: His Life and Work
) and Dorr, a poet and literary agent, have put together a collection of interviews covering the full spectrum of his career, from publicity materials linked to one of his earliest recordings for Columbia Records in the 1950s to a conversation two years before his death. Davis wasn't always the easiest person to talk to—“if you're going to shut up, man, I'll tell you” was his impatient response in one frustrating conversation—but when approached by the right person, someone with the perceptiveness of Nat Hentoff or Art Taylor, he could produce dazzling insights (in one 1987 interview, he spins intricate technical details on getting the right sound out of synthesizers). It's the little scenes that are most memorable: Davis at a birthday party for Louis Armstrong, or trying to persuade his “errand boy” biographer Eric Nisenson to make a late-night drug delivery. In some unfortunate cases, the interview is more about the self-important journalist celebrating his proximity to a jazz legend than about Davis himself, but even then it's impossible for anybody but Davis to hold the spotlight for long.

November 1, 2008
Miles Davis is often thought of as a mystery man or a prince-of-darkness type. His prickly personality intimidated many, and his sometimes-lurid lifestyle led some to view him as above the average mortal. Yet as Maher ("Jack Kerouac's American Journey") and poet and playwright Dorr show with this collection of interviews conducted over an extended period of time, Davis was consistent in his desire to give passionate music to his audiences and to help younger musicians develop into great musicians. He also liked to put people on. But from 1957 up to nearly the year he died (1991), many journalists and authors were able to delve deeper and discover a much more nuanced and brilliant musician behind Davis's public facade. Maher and Dorr bring together 28 interviews, some transcribed for the first time, which taken together give a fine portrait of Davis, demystifying him to a large extent. While many of these interviews can be found in a variety of publications, it's pleasurable to have them in this one handy and thoughtfully edited volume.William G. Kenz, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Moorhead

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2008
Miles Davis turned his back to the audience and made music that moved continents. As legendary for his sharp tongue and toughness as for his searching, bunker-busting music, he was a fearless man of strong feelings and megatalent.Unusually frank in his statements about racism, Davis made journalists cower, and his iciness, magnetism, spiky humor, rage, and genius are all palpable in the 28 interviews Maher and Dorr have rescued from near oblivion. Nat Hentoff listens to music with Davis, who offers brilliant critiques. Lionel Olay reports on a poolside conversation more suited for a boxing ring. Davis tells Les Tompkins, Jazz is an Uncle Tom word, then lets his guard down with Cheryl McCall and tells the story of his kicking drugs cold turkey and his five-year retreat from music and the limelight. Moving forward from 1957 to the end of his life, in 1991, these sparring sessions and profound exchanges trace Davis dynamic artistic evolution, from poetic ballads to molten fusion, and his endless quest for liberation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)