I Remember Miles-part 2

[em3dtv]

This by far is one of the best interviews I ever seen of Miles Davis... I mean, he had me cracking up! I didn't even know he had such a great sense of humor! RIP Miles Davis!

[Guitfiddlejase]

Thank you so much for posting these Sir...

[Streamline09]

Mal, I hope you and your loved ones are safe. Sending healing thoughts to you and the country.

[totownmedia]

@Streamline09 Thanks so much for your kind thoughts and concern. We are all well and watching the situation carefully.

[Streamline09]

@totownmedia I'm glad to know that, Mal. BTW, in this video you and Miles discuss the lack of stress and wrinkles that you and Miles appreciated while in Japan, as opposed to the Dorian Gray (see Oscar Wilde) effect that Miles referred to experiencing in the States. I'm curious to know what it was about the culture(s?) of the Japanese that he loved so much--in addition to the Japanese people recognizing his sound. Thank you, Mal. Have you considered writing a book about life in Japan and Miles?

[AmISerious1]

Miles was such a boss. he cuts off the interview mid-sentence to use the bathroom. gangsta

[emoneybagz23]

His taste in cars was impeccable.

[kevinherbert]

There's 38 million African Americans in the USA...and they've been held down for FAR TOO LONG...Obama is just window dressing......it continues to this day in the projects..

[emmetwhitey]

whats up with his voice

[JazzNaySean]

from all the interviews besides this one

he seems very cocky and kind of mean

in this video series he is really nice!

i cant believe you met him thats so cool

have you met dizzy too?

if you have then you have lived!

[totownmedia]

@JazzNaySean

Thank you. Yes, we established a great relationship during our acquaintanceship. He was very much at ease after the first couple of interviews. The very first interview lasted all of 90 seconds before he ordered me to turn off the tape recorder because I had obviously asked him something stupid. Yes, I also knew and interviewed Dizzy. He was always cool and cooperative. He is featured in an impromptu interview on Part 1 of the Miles series (poor audio though).

Mal Adams

[JazzNaySean]

@totownmedia yeah i saw the whole series :D

ive seen dizzy play when i was 11 and he seemed like he was a really cool cat!

and ive seen a load of interview of him and arturo sandoval

he always seems really cool

not like some of miles interviews that ive seen where he seems like he just doesnt want to be there

thanks for replying dood :D

keep it swangin

[prettyboytroy555]

@totownmedia

What did you ask him that was stupid??? And what did he say after you asked him???

[totownmedia]

@prettyboytroy555 The first time I interviewed him he had just returned to touring following a long break due to illness. I asked him to what he had attributed his return to health. He looked at his manager and asked, "Bob, did you do this to me?", as if to say did you set me up with this rookie ass reporter. Then, without looking at me once, he replied, "I swim every day and mind my own God damn business." That was apparently a stupid question. The interview ended shortly thereafter.

[totownmedia]

@prettyboytroy555 The first time I interviewed him he had just returned to touring following a long break due to illness. I asked him to what he had attributed his return to health. He looked at his manager and asked, "Bob, did you do this to me?", as if to say did you set me up with this rookie ass reporter. Then, without looking at me once, he replied, "I swim every day and mind my own God damn business." That was apparently a stupid question. The interview ended shortly thereafter.

[BIGDO13]

yea, miles dealt with a lot man....he lived thru some many tensions and had a life that was truly one fo a kind...a legend and a musical icon...

[phillipstall]

wow, great interview(s)....thanks for posting

[jvlivs2]

Man, this was just downright RESOURCEFUL! Sir Miles was from the old-school and was one of those cats who had the balls to tell it like it was!

'Nuff Said!

[aarfeld]

Which of the musicians in Miles's band is his nephew? He mentions him early in this segment. I know that Miles has a son, Erin Davis, who is a professional drummer. Have any of his other children become musicians? Perhaps some of you out there know.

[ominousred]

Thanks for posting this...

[joejohnson043]

4:20 bwahahahaha! "I used to be a handsome man, now look at me... I'm phoucked up..." wow, these stories are priceless....

[scomdnz9]

@joejohnson043 hahahaha...

[illtechnique1]

whats the name of the intro song when the totown media logo comes on?

[proni1]

wow this is amazing stuff! you are very fortunate to have done the interview

[mommyimadeapoopy]

"i used to be a handsome man. look at me now,i'm fucked up. they did this to me" hahahahahahhah. i love miles. rip man.

[008fox]

Miles is so real.

[heru1966]

Great stuff. Very much looking forward to the book. Cheers. :-)

[xMPCxx]

Miles from that good ol E. St. Louis...made me pick up the trumpet

[strokesfan1107]

hah, right in the middle of the story, it gets exciting! what's gonna happen next??? OH, wait, i gotta go to the bathroom

[DayTripperLennon]

what was it like to meeting him?!

[totownmedia]

Very scary at first and then extremely enlightening, painfully honest and warm and friendly.

[Streamline09]

How is the book coming along and when do you expect it to reach the U.S. market? Thanks, and looking forward to the DVD.

[totownmedia]

Thank you.

Malcolm

[cointelpro911]

Amazing insights from someone who was right there when it started & stayed true throughout. Straight up great interview.

[realmajimac]

Malcolm W. Adams,

This is amazing. How did you get the respect from him where he could speak to you openly? He always seemed antagonistic towards the interviewers in other interviews. I didn't know that he could talk openly like this.

[totownmedia]

Thanks for your interest. I earned Miles' respect rather painstakingly. The first of many interviews lasted about 90 seconds before he told me to turn off the recorder. I had asked a dumb question that pissed him off. With the recorder turned off he began to educate me. (That converation will be covered in my upcoming book.) My questions thereafter came more from the soul than from the media perspective and we connected. He trusted me with untold stories from that time on. I just listened.

[HuckleberrySlim]

That's a big lesson, thanks :)

[SendInTheChickens]

That's very big of you not to be offended by his criticisms. Most people think that anyone who is in touch with the heart of things and speaks straight is either arrogant or obnoxious. It's nice when the person being corrected is humble enough to realise that the person correcting may know more.

[totownmedia]

Thank you for you comments.

Malcolm

[Streamline09]

If you listen to Miles's question and comment beginning at 2:29 about "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and learn something about the story (and view the painting) you may find it all very interesting. I certainly did. Thank you, Mal. Looking forward to the complete video.

[tractevangelist2000]

Mr. Adams...Thank you for doing this interview. After listening to it, I truly realized I was not a real Miles Davis fan. That is not the case after listening to and watching this interview. Miles was nothing less than a great artist, and your interview brings out that fact. Thank you!

[totownmedia]

Your remark about Miles being coked out could not be farther from the truth. Miles was totally drug free by the time this interview was conducted. I should know because I conducted the interview personally. I was with him all day and he had taken no drugs. What you see is what you get. That is just the way Miles spoke and acted. So, now you know. And let the record be corrected.

Malcolm W. Adams

Producer/Director/Corresponden­t

[mountainmute]

he was truth, he spoke truth and he brought truth. and when he moves you, he moves you with truth. thank you miles for walking the walk. you are a hero.

[flipwiggins]

Miles was just "straightforeward", and no b.s. By watching these vids and listening to his music, it always makes me wish I could have hung out with him....jammed, talked shit together.

[hemingway36]

I'm reading his autobiography right now and it is truly amazing. He is alot like his father, who was a dentist and a very bright man who did'nt take shit from anybody. I think people tend to mistake black pride with racism. He was pissed about the fact that bee bop got famous only after white musicians started playing it on 52nd street when in fact it started in Harlem at Minton's Playhouse with Dizz and Bird and Bean

[jennadad42]

Miles- a true jazz poet. He is like the Kerouack of Jazz. In the New Frontier he will be St. Miles of the golden horn.

[Streamline09]

Is that the band Toto playing in the background?

[totownmedia]

No. That's Al Jarreau playing in the background.

Totown Webmaster

[Streamline09]

Thanks, because I understand he liked them (a la "Human Nature"). What else was he listening to at that time?

I saw that he once performed a song entitled "Al Jarreau" back in the mid-'80s (seen on PBS' "Great Performances" tribute to the music of Miles) and it's too bad that it was never released as a recording. There is sooo much he did that is still in the vaults. Perhaps one day....Thanks ToTown!

[daneby1]

miles made black and white people come together with music and thats the truth

[postalcode2934]

Fucking classic. There never was nor will there ever be another Miles Davis. He is truly one of the most interesting, unique, colorful characters in our nation's history.

[alfordeliot]

no man that's just how the brotha is that's his swagger

[Justino111]

When clueless people call Miles Davis insane, or say he was on drugs, drunk, it makes me wonder about the level of apathy and superficiality we live today. Is this the internet generation? Miles is an icon,one of the greatest musicians of all time. He was not a virtuoso, he was not a composer, but he had "THE" sound, "THE" phrasing. The guy formed THE MOST LEGENDARY jazz groups in history like the quintets from the 50's&60's, plus the Bitches Brew era. Things are getting SO SQUARE and pathetic.

[schuey999]

He was great no doubt, too bad he was so racist. Completely unnecessary at 2:40.

[BrooklynNYC777]

schuey999 if you dont like the african american culture that created Jazz or the condition of the people that created jazz then dont listen to it. You curse the tree but eat the fruit.

[zyruemusic]

Thats the FUCK why I writes and records original ROCK music because that MY MUSIC...I OWN THAT SHIT FROM MY PEOPLE because its all BLUES!!! The best way to shut these REDNECK,RACIST WHITEPEOPLE up is to OUT PLAY THEM...You know what I'm saying BrooklynNYC777!!! I cant seem to find many BLACKS that can recognize that ROCK is THEIR music FAM!!! Come check my SHIT and tell me if I'm lying...PEACE FAM!!! NIGGY'S MILK

[gotagetchaa1]

well,obviously your not black,but he is talking about the racism he encountered back in the day and how it made him parinoid and stressed due to ignorance.

[Pudersepp]

I'm white (from north Europe, as white as it gets), and I can say, from somewhat of experience, black musicians have a different sound. I'm not a racist, but I'm saying, I think a white guy can't play like Miles, can't have the feel of eg. Fela Kuti. White jazz is different. Brubeck's "Take Five" for instance - a whole lot different from eg. "Boplicity". Its not because of melanin, rather something historical... As a parallel, I don't know of any black Mozart, Bach or the like.

Miles is great.

[totownmedia]

Pudersepp,

Thank you for your comment. It is on point and I agree with everything you said. Thanks for viewing our channel and stay tuned for the first new clip of Miles of 2009 coming soon. Please subscribe. Thank you.

Mal Adams

Totown Digital Media

[samadjhi]

Racist? Was he racist when he invited Bill Evans to play with him? How about David Sanborn,Red Rodney,Herb Ellis,Stan Getz. I can go ALL NIGHT WITH THIS PREMISE.What the hell are you talking about.

[jpiano2158]

I dont think he was racist, but if he was u gotta look at why he was like that. Ppl tend to 4get who started this racism stuff in America. If u were black and lived in his day, you wudve been the same way.

[RedPortiaOne]

Miles was rasist and anti white to a point. But he was shit on so many times by whites in the 50's, who can blame him. Theres just some whites you cant trust, and that goes for blacks too. There are always going to be assholes in every race, thats just human nature. Miles was one of a kind and I love him, rasist or not.

[Streamline09]

What is the background music? The first tune sounds like Toto. I think Miles was listening to their music at the time.

Thanks.

[Streamline09]

Looking forward to the DVD release! Thanks.

[thergking]

what year this was?!

[afgan01]

4:20."i used to be a handsome man. look at me now i'm fucked up! they did this to....my face!"....ROFL i love this shit.

[9jem]

this must have been recorded before mills lost his voice due to cancer

[cali22boi]

dumb statement go do your homework

[borchamu]

Where did you get that cancer shit from? Happened in the 50s -- lost his voice following throat surgery.

[Solomohn]

Totown! This is fantastic. It's candid, it's insightful, it's entertaining. It's about Miles, the person, the musician, the man. It's clear your interest in him, and admiration for him, is strong. This, my friend, is the perfect interview. This is a fan's interview.

[Zeitgeist74]

Fascinating interview! Thanks for posting.

[fusionfreq]

he looks amazing  haaha ..whats he on about!?

[jefortunejr]

I never thought I'd ever get a chance to see Miles in this light. Totownmedia, thank you sooo much for this.

[v1m]

Fascinating.

Can't wait to see more.

[shutterbugblues]

Watching this interview was profound. Miles is in a totally different zone and mood here compared to other interviews he's done with white interviewers. Being interviewed by a Japanese person here, he is relaxed, smiling, and articulate. Amazing to see the difference.

[totownmedia]

Thank you for your comments. I conducted this interview myself. I'm an African-American resident of Japan who was the Tokyo correspondent for CBS News and CNN. Over the years I had done several interviews with Miles. He trusted me. We were friends. He felt relaxed being in Japan, a country we both came to love. The difference in his vibe had a lot to do with the fact that we were chatting in Japan.

Stay tuned for the upcoming release of the full DVD.

Mal Adams

Totown Digital Media

[shutterbugblues]

I worded that part of my post incorrectly, my apologies! I meant to say "Being interviewed in Japan..."

[totownmedia]

No worries. Thanks for your comments and your correction. Please stay tuned. I`ll be uploading a new never-before-seen segment soon.

Mal Adams

Totown Digital Media

[planetlennie]

Hey, idiots. he had a throat condition, a medical issue when he was young. That's the rasp.

[jaymusic143]

As a jazz player, piano teacher and a serious MILES fan for over 30 years, I found this the most outstanding filmed interview of Miles I am aware of. Why isn't the USA jazz press aware of this??? This project will be an amazing release, and I urge you to get the word out there on the jazz websites as soon as possible. More jazz folks need to hear all this. GREAT STUFF!

[guiguox]

hahaha "look at me , i'm fucked up!".

Anyway he was drunk. that's way he's so at ease.

[totownmedia]

You`re dead wrong. Miles was not drunk. In fact he rarely consumed alcohol much at all in his later years. Miles was as sober as a judge when he did this interview. I should know. I interviewed him personally. He was at ease because I made him feel at ease.

Mal Adams

Totown Digital Media

[cali22boi]

I find it pathetic that no matter how much information on Miles' life is out there that there are still idiots who come up with their own assumptions or anecdotes. As in since when Miles used drugs he was ALWAYS on drugs. Those people are ILL INFORMED and are full of it.

[seiyuhosono]

You can explain why Miles really enjoyed his stay in Japan or France by all these dum comments made by these people. I think this inteview by Mr. Adams is the best interview that I have ever seen on Miles. He is so relaxed and happy. I love it.

[borchamu]

Great point, cali22boi.

[seatoshiningsea]

Great footage and insightful commentary. Anti-white comments show an intense bitterness that is not warranted.

[priorzola]

You did not have to live the life of Miles Davis or any number black jazz musicians who were constanty harrassed by police. Jazz music in America, as far as the authorities were concerned, was synonymous with drugs and corrupting white women and many jazz clubs were a special target for police. He was not talking aboutall white people. White people in France made him feel welcomed and allowed him to relax without the baggage reserved for black entertainers in America at the time.

[seiyuhosono]

最高！he is the best!

[DangerousBastard]

Cool video, thanks totownmedia!

[SnapshotsMusic]

Miles seems so relaxed and open here. Ive never seen any interview like this before- this is a film worth paying for.

[totownmedia]

Thank you for you comments and your interest. Stay tuned for announcement of the upcoming release of the DVD.

Mal

[glitch0000]

Miles Davis was a scary bastard.

[swerve19]

haha alot of jazz cats seem to have a rasp..Jimmy smith, and Louis had same deep ones.

[GolumTR]

The first time I heard that high pitched rasp was from a joke told by Roland Kirk. Smoke all day and blow horn all night and see how your throat ends up.

[splivey]

His raspy voice was a result of being told not to raise his voice after throat surgery. But, But, got angry and screamed at producer Teo Macero (Columbia Records) which permanently damaged his vocal chords. Many say the rasp only added to his mystique.

[SnapshotsMusic]

It was a reporter he yelled at. in auto-bio.

[docattheradarstation]

he aged very well, he obviously couldnt cope with age as well as some could. But he put up with racial predjuduce in america most of his life, the story he tells is one of many i've heard him tell.

[yagamei]

Who cares if he thinks his face looks "fucked up". The man is sharp as a tack - you can see it in his eyes, man. The guy can stare right through you.

[etsneroj]

I thought I was struggling to confront my own aging, but then I heard Miles attributing his balding to a cop and his wrinkles to racism. Like the commentor said below, though, when you've done as much for music as he has, you can say whatever you want.

[thetoxicdog]

dam what an absolute legend!

[Bassic2012]

a canadian white man, which miles mentions as the difference in his autobiography with quincy troupe

[melbpride]

cool dude.. did he always slur his words like that or is it just from drugs and whatever else?

[Bassic2012]

any damage to his speech was done after surgery on his vocal chords, from what ive read he ended up speaking when he wasnt supposed to during the recovery period, resulting in a whisper

[Gettinghitonattheban]

He has a right to be antagonistic. You can be what ever the hell you want to be if you did what he did for music.

[keybobrob]

right on!...gettinghitonattheban I hear you!

[hatebush123]

Mid-sentence: "Wait a minute, I gotta go to the bathroom."

And when Miles Davis says that, all you can say is "of course"

[36index]

Miles was a cool muthafucka!

[MilesTrane21]

I love Miles so much no matter how many problems he had. He's so witty. I'm just glad he didn't hate all white people or I'd know he'd hate me, but I'd still love him anyway.

[WartsHogNYC]

Yea don't fret he said Gil Evans was his best friend and he dated lots of white women!

[keybobrob]

It's not about him not liking whites...it's about not liking how he was treated by the vast majority of them.He is only a human being reflecting on the realities of his life...what else is a human supposed to do?

[keybobrob]

He was a human being(a brilliant one) obviously...but his life was a hard one. But that was the reality of living in "white america"...he simply speaks from his experiences..just like his music is pure from his heart...his words of discontent and are also from the heart. He can't help the fact that he was treated like shit even though he was musical royalty.

[xaiesque]

haha man this is an amazing clip..to think about the same guy always showing up to sessions in italian suits..he totally chilled out at the end of his life..it's amazing to get into this guy, such a regular person who the rest of us considers a musical god. thank you for sharing!

[RobeeMan]

The coolest man on Earth! :-D

[mrpossibilities]

This is too much. I feel like I'm just sitting there, right there in the living room listening to him talk. Too intense.

[ogida]

Miles is right on target there man. Thank you so much for sharing this video!

[totownmedia]

It`s my pleasure to share this exclusive material with the world. More to come. Stay tuned.

Hotep!

[MackTheKnife12]

love the guy but he's jonesing like a motherfucker here(dude did too much drugs)

[Drummeroftheyear21]

Thx a ton for this man.Respect.

[relyte]

this is incredible footage, i can't wait for the DVD to come out - thanks for sharing it!

[totownmedia]

Thanks for watching. There are more snippets to come soon. Stay tuned. The DVD will be ready by year's end for Christmas we hope. We're waiting on rights clearances on some stock footage from his performances over the years. Thanks.

Totown Webmaster