Miles Davis: The Autobiography

Gideon Avrahami

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Sep 10, 1989, 6:52:43 PM9/10/89

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Miles' (co-written) autobiography has been published by Simon &
Schuster. The review I read says there's a lot of sensational material
about his sex life, drugs, coleagues, money etc -- but also a lot
of serious stuff about the music and the people.

Gotta get that one!

william sadler

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Sep 15, 1989, 10:39:16 AM9/15/89

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Did anyone see the letter in this month's Vanity Fair chastizing last
month's article on MIles and Miles in general for being a sexual pervert
male chauvinist woman beater? Very interesting....
WS
Will Sadler Indiana University |
Wsa...@silver.bacs.indiana.edu | "Nothing but blues and Elvis,
| and somebody else's favorite
All opinions are strictly accidental | song..."

Sandeep Mehta

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Sep 18, 1989, 10:36:03 AM9/18/89

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In article <26...@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>, wsadler@silver (william sadler) writes:
>In article <14...@jumbo.dec.com> gi...@jumbo.UUCP (Gideon Avrahami) writes:
>>
>>Miles' (co-written) autobiography has been published by Simon &
>>Schuster. The review I read says there's a lot of sensational material
>>about his sex life, drugs, coleagues, money etc -- but also a lot
>>of serious stuff about the music and the people.
>>
>>Gotta get that one!
>
>Did anyone see the letter in this month's Vanity Fair chastizing last
>month's article on MIles and Miles in general for being a sexual pervert
>male chauvinist woman beater? Very interesting....

Am 1/4 way through it. Oliver Troupe (poet + journalist) is the shadow
writer. Its written in a very conversational style - like an interview.
I'm just through to the time Miles finished high school, landed up in
NY, got fed up w/ Juilliard, and started playing gigs, at Minton's and
on 52nd St, full time. So I cannot give a final opinion on the book.

It does dispel some notions (that at least I had) about his attitudes
towards certain people. He says and I quote: "Bird was a greedy
m_____f___er. All geniuses are greedy". He gripes a lot about Bird's
behaviour, stealing money, being a slob, high on heroin. But when he put
the horn to his lips, no matter how damn high he was, magically the
genius musician emerged. He does say that musically he respects Dizzy
more than Bird. He's very attached to Dizzy. Bird was the kind of guy
who did not help/teach you, Miles felt. You had to pick it up on your
own being around him. Although he respects Bird a lot, he has many
gripes because of his slovenly attitude and behavior. There is a scene
he graphically describes about being w/ Bird in a cab, while Bird was
having oral sex, eating chicken and drinking whiskey at the same time !
That really turned Miles (who was 19 then, and hardly drank or smoked)
off.

He feels strongly about racism in music that is still very prevalent
today. He attitude towards women (probably tempered by his experiences)
is also unusual.