Very Interesting thread, even if it is somewhat "over my head"...
I've repeatedly encountered the judgment in Jazz publications that Miles was not particularly accomplished, technically-- that his strength lay more in his ability to convey emotion or "Duende". I'm not a horn player so I don't know whether this is true but compared to, say, Woody Shaw, Miles' playing sounds less virtuosic to me.
I'd be curious as to "which Miles" you've listened to, as his recordings cover a wide stylistic range. My responses to his playing range from love to outright dislike, depending upon the musical setting. His "second great quintet" (with H. Hancock, W. Shorter, R. Carter and T. Williams) is my favorite Jazz group, period. I love and admire what those players did in that group. When it comes to players I "love", I can't help but "admire" their musicianship. There are many players who are clearly very skilled but whose playing doesn't move me, emotionally. I "respect" those individuals.
I'm more of an album-by-album listener. I can't think of any case in which I love every recording by a given artist, even those artists I love above all others. For example, "Europe '72" by the Grateful Dead is one of my best-loved recordings, period-- "desert island" material. for me. The fact that I play guitar no doubts helps with appreciation and thus, admiration for the playing. However, most of the band's output is far too sloppy and technically inconsistent for me to endure. I guess I both love and hate the Dead.
I can't comment on Classical music except to admit that I respect its creators and practictioners but find it uninvolving, as a rule. The rhythms simply don't engage my body. (I'm one of those listeners for whom PRaT is vital). At the other end of the spectrum would be Rap/Hip-Hop, which offers nothing but rhythm and of an extremely monotonous (to my ears) character.
I've repeatedly encountered the judgment in Jazz publications that Miles was not particularly accomplished, technically-- that his strength lay more in his ability to convey emotion or "Duende". I'm not a horn player so I don't know whether this is true but compared to, say, Woody Shaw, Miles' playing sounds less virtuosic to me.
I'd be curious as to "which Miles" you've listened to, as his recordings cover a wide stylistic range. My responses to his playing range from love to outright dislike, depending upon the musical setting. His "second great quintet" (with H. Hancock, W. Shorter, R. Carter and T. Williams) is my favorite Jazz group, period. I love and admire what those players did in that group. When it comes to players I "love", I can't help but "admire" their musicianship. There are many players who are clearly very skilled but whose playing doesn't move me, emotionally. I "respect" those individuals.
I'm more of an album-by-album listener. I can't think of any case in which I love every recording by a given artist, even those artists I love above all others. For example, "Europe '72" by the Grateful Dead is one of my best-loved recordings, period-- "desert island" material. for me. The fact that I play guitar no doubts helps with appreciation and thus, admiration for the playing. However, most of the band's output is far too sloppy and technically inconsistent for me to endure. I guess I both love and hate the Dead.
I can't comment on Classical music except to admit that I respect its creators and practictioners but find it uninvolving, as a rule. The rhythms simply don't engage my body. (I'm one of those listeners for whom PRaT is vital). At the other end of the spectrum would be Rap/Hip-Hop, which offers nothing but rhythm and of an extremely monotonous (to my ears) character.