Miles Davis Threadz: September 2, 2010 40th Anniversary Celebration of Bitches Brew at the Grammy

What a fabulous evening commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Miles Davis' jazz-funk-rock masterpiece, Bitches Brew! We left early to get front row seats in the Clive Davis Theater at the Grammy Museum in downtown LA. Before the event started the room was a-buzz with talking. You could over hear individual conversations telling of their connections to Miles, the concerts they attended and other trivia. Bubba Jackson from KJAZZ hosted the evening with his award winning voice and personality, interjecting his memories of Miles Davis over the years.

The distinguished panel was introduced: Erin Davis (son of Miles), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (nephew of Miles), Benny Maupin (bass clarinetist with Miles), Henry Rollins (recording artist/author/dj - KCRW), Maggie Lepique (KPFK), and Jeremy Sole (KCRW).

Erin Davis began the evening commenting that his father was quite witty and not always serious as he was on stage. Vince said that when Miles was on stage he was "all business." During the Q and A part of the evening, Vince commented on the stylish Italian design fashions worn by Miles, who would change clothes sometimes six times a day. Every morning he would lay out his clothes and then change all day. ""He was killin'", Vince reminisced. On time Vince had on a tee-shirt with stains, to which Miles commented, "You look like a f***ing billboard."

Benny Maupin started playing with Miles when he was 27. He said he was terrified when Miles called him and asked him to play bass clarinet at the suggestion of Jack DeJohnette. He said when Miles would go to clubs in NY he would park his Ferrari right in front, whether it was a parking spot or not, blocking the street, and go into the club. He'd stay about 10 minutes and leave. Benny said when he started playing with Miles, he was handed staff paper with just a few notes on it, never being told to play this or that. This was unnerving to Benny so he just played what he felt and Miles gave him a nod. It was all about the "texture and the feel" of the music. He discovered the power of "non-verbal communication" with Miles. He went on to say that "Miles wanted fresh music and wouldn't allow the musicians to listen to what they had just played because they would imitate themselves." Miles was known to "play in the moment," and "he had to trust you."

Henry Rollins noted that Miles had an "uncanny ear for what a musician should be." His suggestion to the audience was to listen to Miles Davis with the lights off to go deep into the music. "It's in the moment," he noted. Henry commented how Miles Davis' music is still "right now" even though he has been gone from us for 20 years.

I noticed that there were still two empty chairs on the stage. Vince Wilburn, Jr. then invited his good friend Don to the stage. Don who? None other than Don Cheadle!!! The crowd went crazy. Don started playing the saxophone when he was seven and listening to Miles' Porgy and Bess. He said about Miles: "He used himself as a canvas to create everything." He said, "Miles was always searching for new and fresh music. He'd let people into the process, hit the sweet spot and move on."

Don Cheadle is presently in the early stages of producing a movie about Miles. We anxiously await more news about its production.

The next surprise guest was a strikingly beautiful woman who called herself "his first wife", Frances Taylor. She took Miles to the theater to get him to "feel what she felt" and introduced him to flamingo music. The next day they went to a music store and Miles bought every flamingo record available. She saw him for the last time at an art gallery in Beverly Hills. They stood together looking at one of his paintings and Miles turned to her and said, "Frances, that's your ass!"

What an honor to be seated in the same room with these jazz icons and personalities. The energy was amazing and the experience not soon forgotten.