ChasStarr

Thanks Nick for expressing what I couldn't. The reason I play trumpet and the reason I play lead is Maynard. His music and big band was my first exposure to any type of jazz and it was all I listened to for years. I've worn out his LP's to the point where I couldn't listen to them anymore.

Fast forward 30 years....I'm still playing lead in a big band, but over the last few years I've been exposed to that music (Miles, Clifford, Byrd, Dizzy, etc) that I used to dismiss, stupidly I might add, as "if it ain't Maynard, it ain't spit!"

I've begun to really listen to those jazz giants and have figured out that I missed the boat on a huge part of my jazz education. The best part is that it's not too late! Thank goodness for recordings! The newfound appreciation that I have for what they continue to do through their recordings has given me the inspiration to begin lessons in Jazz improvisation. Ironically, the first thing we did at my first lesson was listen to Miles

Now, MF and lead playing are still my first love, but the appreciation for what else is out there has grown exponentially.

Thanks for a great post![/quote]

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Deecy

When Miles had his tentet with Lee Konitz on alto, a brother asked him why he let an ofay play in his band.
Miles said, "I don't care if he's green! You know another alto man who's got a sound like Konitz?"
[Lee Konitz's wife Tania told me this.]

Tom

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Spitty

yes

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RKerch11

This post is like comparing apples to cucumbers!

If you want high notes, listen to Maynard (DUH!). If you want the solos and dark sound that Maynard could NEVER touch, even in his hay-day (50's-70's), listen to Miles.

If I wanna hear what to play over a modal solo, I listen to Miles, if I want to hear what my g-CC sounds like, I listen to Wayne Bergeron ...

But Maynard's fun to listen to too.

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ubieday

Since it's nuts to even try and make this comparison, I will just respond cause it's fun to talk about these two entirely different players. It's not like one of these guys plays a better Haydn, Henze, or B Minor Mass than the other. There really is no decent basis of comparison between the two of them to even draw upon.

I used to love Maynard when I was in high school. He inspired me to really learn to breathe, put some air through the horn, and play large. His arrangements were sufficiently full of testosterone to inspire someone of my age and, well, testosterone levels...

But then I listened to Kind of Blue in my late teens, and I heard (only upon repeated listenings, mind you) things that I had never heard before: colors, phrases, evolving motives, silence, timing, imagination, interplay, and true swing. Once I started hearing these qualities in Miles's playing, I literally lost my appetite for Maynard's playing. To this day I still find depths to Miles's playing that I still haven't explored. It is still a process of discovery to listen to him.

Miles was a real artist, and the trumpet happened to be his medium. I have come to see Maynard as a true trumpeter (even Bud Herseth made comments to that effect), who used musical arrangements of varying styles to get him there. Personally, as much as I admire Maynard's ability, I haven't cared to listen to him for more than 10 minutes in the last two decades. This, I should emphasize, is just a matter of taste. Just one man's musical journey.

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Jimi Michiel

I think there is also an element of innovation to Miles' career that is not present with Maynard. Maynard has done many things, from bop and popular to (at least when I saw him) Indian music. However, Miles (for better or worse) was in a constant state of change. The psychologist Howard Gardner makes the point with Stravinsky, Einstein, Picasso and others that creative minds work in ten year cycles, something that Miles showed throughout his career. Consider 1949 (Birth of the Cool), 1959 (Kind of Blue) and 1969 (Bitches Brew). Each of these albums had an incredible impact an "jazz," not to mention Davis's impact on American culture. As dated as it might be, his work in the 80s and 90s was still progressive, up to his final album, Doo-Bop (which features free-style rappers before "rap" was "gangsta rap").
I can't speak to Maynard because I really don't know as much about him. I will just say that when I listen to Miles play, I know that when he plays a high note it really means something. Many people don't realize that Miles could play high and just chose not to. Probably not to the extent of Maynard, of course, but the fact that he had a technical facility that he employed only when he felt the music warranted it is something to respect, in my opinion more than hitting a million quadruple Cs.
-Jimi

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the8thchef

i don't know if there is a single trumpet player that has played more trumpet, i.e. various styles and genres, as miles. don't get me wrong, maynard can blow, and if you've heard him live you know what i'm talking about.

you know, a lot of people say that miles can't or didn't play high notes. my old high school band teacher said the same thing (but he also said miles had bad tone). truth is, miles went to screaching proportions on many occasions. listen to him beginning with esp and on; he switched up his style, becoming more aggressive with those younger players than he had been with trane, cannonball, etc. listen to what he was doing in the 70s, live at the fillmore albums, jack johnson sessions, live-evil, even going back to bitche's brew. miles could get up with the the best of them.

he wasn't cootie or diz. but he still got high.

needless to say, there would be no maynard (or me) if it wasn't for miles. and, honestly, i think the path of jazz would still be the same if there was no maynard. miles, like bird, trane, duke, clifford, were manifestations of GOD himself. believe that like others believe in Jesus and Buddha. they are all the same being.

furthermore, i've noticed that a lot of people are in love with maynard simply because he can pick up his horn after 8 years and play a septuple G six miles above the staff without getting tired.

shout out to eric dolphy and sonny rollins

kundun ka sabaka

surfhorn

As a trumpeter, Maynard motivated me to be a lead player.......the rock star of the trumpet.

As an artist, Miles brought tears to my soul.

I was fortunate to see both men live a few times.

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trjeam

I usually wouldn't answer this type of question because Maynard and Miles are so completely different that it's hard to compare, but i need to post so here it goes:

The only thing that Maynard can do better then Miles is play the high notes in the extreme register.. In every other aspect of playing the trumpet and musically I prefer Miles.

Let's not forget that Miles got a scholarship to julliard to play the trumpet so you know that the he would of had to have chops and also if any of you guys have ever heard any of those early recording of miles with Charlie Parker you know that Miles had some crazy chops and technique...

i don't think that Maynard can be compared to anyone because he's one of those cats that no one has been able to do what he is able to do. he is in his own class. Just like Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong IMO these guys are just in there own class and can not be compared to anyone else..

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Rick Chartrand

Hey Guys

Jazz is about creativity and improv. Miles is the king of creativity and musical exploration. Maynard plays high notes well...nothing really creative there, just well developed lips. Anyone can do that given 20 years on a horn, but to create and send Jazz through 4 seperate movements in a lifetime like Miles did? Actually Maynard's playing irratates me to be honest, because it seems all he does is play extreme high notes. That gets boring and hard on the ears after a while. I vote for Miles hands down.

Rick AKA Trumpet Man