Status Updates From Miles Beyond: The Electric ...

"'he was able to... make us play incredibly. That's beyond...I don't want to get into mystical things, but... [e]ven though Miles was weak...he had good tone.'" (205)

"Through a mixture of rehearsing some musicians before the sessions, giving others written sketches, and offering no instruction for the rest, Miles allowed free imprivisation to coexist with strong, repetitive, well-defined rhythmic, melodic, and... harmonic foundations...'to catch freshness and unpredictability'" (135)

"'Bird, this motherfucker is playing all the wrong changes.' Bird looked at him and answered, 'Well, play them with him and they won't be wrong.'"

"The shooting incident in October 1969... Miles... and Marguerite Eskridge were unexpededly shot at... in front of her apartment. A lot of shots were fired from the car, and then it drove away. A bullet had gone through his leather jacket. The police came out and read me my rights... took us to the police station... they believed that there was marijuana in the car." p. 77

"'[Miles] was like Merlin the magician'" "Bitches Brew was like a big pot and Miles was the sorcerer." "...when the ensemble appears to drift to a halt. Miles gives some indecipherable instructions, and the musicians carry on..."