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akross 's review for:
Miles: The Autobiography
by Miles Davis
Unlike other co-written autobiographies I've read (Three Cups comes to mind first), there was no third person aftertaste about Miles. This book is his story, in his voice, with his words- though Quincy Troupe could have done Miles (and the rest of us) a favor and edited a little more closely to refrain from repeating things several times. But I have the highest regard for Quincy's ability to step back and rearrange the story without diminishing Miles' voice.
Miles himself is so angry, so talented, so opinionated that his life just naturally jumps off the page as something extraordinary, yet accessible. And, as another reviewer put it- this is part-autobio, part-intensive course on 1930s-1990s jazz. I've listened to Ellington and Coltrane and Davis before- but unless you really know your shit when it comes to names and music styles/techniques, a lot of this is going to go over your head.
I was torn between giving this book a 3/4, but my lack of musical background (my own fault), combined with the more-than-occasional excessive detail (Troupe's fault) forced my hand.
Miles himself is so angry, so talented, so opinionated that his life just naturally jumps off the page as something extraordinary, yet accessible. And, as another reviewer put it- this is part-autobio, part-intensive course on 1930s-1990s jazz. I've listened to Ellington and Coltrane and Davis before- but unless you really know your shit when it comes to names and music styles/techniques, a lot of this is going to go over your head.
I was torn between giving this book a 3/4, but my lack of musical background (my own fault), combined with the more-than-occasional excessive detail (Troupe's fault) forced my hand.