Miles Davis Interview Page 4
A Son's Perspective  ERIN DAVIS.  Also Nephew VINCE WILBURN JR

Smitty:  That’s exciting.  Now, the Miles From India project was released in April, right?

VW:  Yes, April 15th.

Smitty:  Very cool.  And you can get it just about anywhere you can buy music, so…

ED:  Yeah.

VW:  Mm-hmm.  iTunes too.  You can download it.  Buy it and download it.

Smitty:  Oh, very cool.  I’m still old school.  I love the CD and I love the artwork and all that comes with that whole experience of listening to the music and reading the liner notes.  And let me tell ya, speaking of liner notes, this is heavy duty, this is heavy liner work.

ED/VW:  (Both laugh)

Smitty:  You know what I’m saying?

ED:  Well, if Bob Belden’s involved, it’s gonna be thorough liner notes.

Smitty:  Yeah, man, Bob expressed himself well.

VW:  Oh yeah.

ED:  Well, that’s what Bob does best, by the way.  (All laugh.)  He’s an authority.  B.B.

VW:  I call him B.B.

Smitty:  Yeah, I’m calling him “deep” because…

VW:  He knows about Miles, man. He loves Miles.

Smitty:  Yeah, man, and it was like reading a story and a biography all in one, and he gave you sort of like a play-by-play in India and he talked about how he and Louiz Banks, Yusuf Gandhi developing the form.  It was like a construction project where they had the form and then the musicians came in and they started with the foundation and Chick Corea came in and did his thing, and I was just so into that, and listening to the music at the same time, I’m in another world, you know?

VW:  I can dig that.

Smitty:  And it was so cool.  But there was something he said, speaking of the liner notes, that I thought was really amazing.  When he talked about working with Wallace and those cats and then working with these great musicians in India, he mentioned how they don’t teach jazz in the public school system.

VW:  Mm-hmm.

Smitty:  They happen to love this music and it’s a family affair.  One example was flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, who is from a family of flautists. And Bob cited many more examples in the liner notes. And they really approached their craft the way Miles approached his music.

VW:  Mm-hmm.

Smitty:  Which I thought, well, no wonder these great players are on this project.  Miles gravitated to those that were as profound and dedicated and committed as he was, and that’s how he was able to identify with these great musicians.

VW:  Mm-hmm.

Smitty:  So I thought that was a beautiful thing.

VW:  Yeah, yeah.

Smitty:  Absolutely.  So when we talk about influence, Miles influence, like you were mentioning earlier, Vince. Miles’s, his influence is worldwide.

ED:  Absolutely.

Smitty:  It’s not this influence of ten artists that live in Los Angeles.

VW:  (Laughs.)  No, it’s global.

Smitty:  Yeah, it’s a global influence. And how many musicians can say that?

VW:  Yeah, it’s true.

Smitty:  And that’s why I think this project, this two-disc project of Miles From India, it’s deeper than the music itself, and how do you get deeper?  But it is, you know?

VW:  Yeah.

Smitty:  It really is.  I’m sounding like Bob Belden now.  (All laugh.)

VW:  No, man, we all love him, you know?

Smitty:  Absolutely.

VW:  It’s our love for The Chief.

Smitty:  Yes indeed, and there was something else here that I thought was something, the approach, that I thought was just beautiful when Bob was talking about when the musicians were coming into the studio to play, he said they were using improvisation as a composition tool. And I’m saying, you know, I don’t know if I’ve heard it put quite that way before, but how beautiful. Because then you’re capturing the true essence of the music when you approach it that way.

VW:  Mm-hmm.

Smitty:  So not only is Bob a man of many words, but I love his abilities and his knowledge and approach too.

VW:  Mm-hmm.

ED:  Yeah.

Smitty:  Absolutely, and in fact, when I reflect on this project and Miles’ decades of beautiful music, I wish I could roll the credits for those that contributed to this project because it is magnificent.

VW:  Yeah, it’s a great piece of music.

Smitty:  Yes indeed, and I want to thank you Erin and Vince for not only being in the same family and being related to Miles, but you two had to have the forethought to listen and to want to learn and to be a dry sponge looking for water of knowledge of music, and even to this day, Miles is not with us, but it could be very easy to say “Well, I’m gonna do it my way.”

ED/VW:  (Both laugh)

Smitty:  You know what I mean?

VW:  Yeah.

Smitty:  I mean, how many people would say “Well, he’s not here so now it’s our time.”

VW:  Hey, man, I think we’re still learning and I think he’s still guiding us, you know what I mean?

ED:  Yeah.

Smitty:  And I just want to applaud you two for keeping that legacy so strong by your approach to music and your approach to life as well.

VW:  Cool, thanks.

ED:  Thank you, Smitty.

Smitty:  Yes indeed.  Well, hey, congratulations on this project, my friends, and I’m looking forward to some of the other great things that are coming in the next few weeks and months, and I hope we can get back together and talk about some of those things and just do some hang time the next time I come out.

VW:  Definitely.  Let’s do it.

Smitty:  All right, we’ve been talking with Erin Davis and Vince Wilburn, Jr.  Thank you so much, both of you, for sharing this wonderful time to talk about the ultimate legend in music, Miles Davis, and this wonderful project that is truly reflective of the creative man he was in making great music.  Thank you both and best of everything and have a great 2008 and beyond, my friends.

ED:  Thank you, Smitty.

VW:  Thank you.

Baldwin “Smitty” Smith

For More Information Visit www.milesdavis.com and www.myspace.com/milesdavis