Conversations with Vince Wilburn Jr.

[Music] welcome to the NYU Steinhardt jazz interview series and tonight we'd like to welcome Vince Wilburn Junior Vince we have a lot to talk about tonight we know that you've been a very successful drummer producer artist in the jazz crossover pop world but you also have some significant heritage that you're the nephew of the great Miles Davis yeah that was my mama's brother little brother little brother and you know about a year but but it's such a such a privilege for us to be able to talk to somebody to get dust stories of somebody who was so close to one of the great icons in jazz so maybe we start there and and we talk about miles in maybe your connection with Miles and then we move on to how you've continued that lineage and you've continued develop in the music world all these years so what would you say is your earliest recollection of of miles or who miles was I grew up in Chicago Chicago Illinois and when my uncle miles would come to Chicago we'd go to the concert you know usually to play auditoriums and yeah late 60s and so I would when my parents were out in the audience I was stay in the wings you know I would stay like I don't know if you've ever seen video of uncle miles but when when he wasn't playing he would walk off the stage and cuz he wanted to focus to be on the rest of the band not him and so usually he'd be dumping me upside my head or you know messing with me and then he come back on the players right sure but I was always fascinated with with that that that that I'm that shot you know that that the the spotlight on him and the muted trumpet as a kid I didn't really understand it and then and then and then I would move over to the drums and watch the drummer and I was just as the kid just like the the limbs and that the movement and and the way the band the you know it's just like telepathic the way they would play you know and as I got older that's what I wanted to do you know cuz I saw Tony I saw Jack and back then there was three and four groups at one show you know like different bands in one concert so you could see three or four different drummers you know and get something out of one drummer then you get some found another driver you know who would be playing as along the other bands with I would be like it would it would really do it miles and and say I'm a Jamaa and it was miles and then it didn't in the 70s it was fusion axes miles and her being and Return to Forever and it's different acts like that but each time I was at a concert there was there were various there were numerous drummers you know more than one ones one bad so you know it was like it was master class and I was just I just wanted I was there was a thirst that III acquired that just I found it so yeah this is it this is it this is it for me but then they came back in like 1974 without Foster and that's when I really got it you know you know cuz it was like it was [ __ ] rocking and Michael Henderson was playing and our Foster had these big old 3s drumsticks and it was loud and [ __ ] - changed my life well let me this dis just occurred to me when you were saying that miles would walk off the stage when he wasn't soloing to showcase the band let me get this from you it's like there's the issue with sometimes miles would turn his back to the audience and some people would you know some people would say it's arrogance or some people would say miles is just trying to play into the band so everybody could hear what he wanted II like the interaction with the band lenio tell you I mean he said you know he referenced a conductor when the conductor conducts an orchestra is back as to the audience but he liked the interplay with the musicians you know I remember there's a story where Marcus was in the band Marcus Miller he walked up to Marcus and he whispered something in his ear and Marcus got close and Marcus study's gonna talk about something he played he said I like my shoes but he liked the interaction of the band you know he was right in my face you know when I was in the band is like and he and his twos would be half you know then fours would be four and he told me never to take my eyes off of them so I was playing looking all under the symbol cuz he had two Wireless by then you know walking up and down so you dedicated your full hair tiles yeah yeah oh we all did yeah but he did he take himself seriously if he's coming up he's joking with the band but the rest of the audience know him from his persona well I think that a lot of times everybody was so nervous he would say something just to have what everyone relaxed you know but he didn't care I mean he cared about the audience but his main focus was the band members and and how the music that he you know that we rehearse or that advance for her you know came up onstage that was his main concern did he ever talking about fear did he ever talk about any fear he had in music moving forward from he was he but he was even so this he was the first one up in the morning and the last one to go to sleep at night and he always listened to or tapes he you know like some guys they rest on not all musicians but some they kind of get complacent but he was always striving striving striving and he was never he was always like what guys tried to he would have us he would critique us and he'd have us come to this hotel room and it was Darrow or me or Bobby anybody in a pen he say we try this the next night or Bobby you play this or Darrell don't answer yourself whatever that meant but Darrell would get it you know Darrell Jones so he was a person that that that like he it one post said one quote he was saying that if he didn't have music he would die you know so he was just all he lived and breathed music I never saw him nervous oh he said that that that um the breakneck temples of burden and Max would play so fast make his lip bleed you know he was frightened but then he got into it he said at one time when he when he first got to gate with bird I think's bird somebody asked very well who should trumpet player and other Mouse was really young you know he just came to play it you know do a study of Juliana and bird pointed at him and he said me you know and that was this gig you know but sometimes you get called on and you got to be ready you know he was ready as nervous as he was he felt he could handle it and he did years ago I interviewed Bill Frisell and he was talking about miles and he says you know some people's inabilities to copy some somebody allows you to create your own thing so in a sense maybe when he took over in dizzy spot you didn't really play like dizzy he didn't have the the chops at the time or the range but what bill was saying is that it would have been a travesty if miles would have just copied dizzy and he didn't and miles ever talked about becoming a unique voice I I mean back in the 40s 50s people were trying to be individuals rather than copy the next guy I think I just think that he had his he had a mindset of him not duplicating or trying to imitate anybody you know from from probably when he was a kid you know you know he didn't care you know he dressed a certain way like certain cars certain women certainly he did his hiss thing his way so I thought what he maybe I this is what I was thinking he'd probably got a little bit from everybody because he took fancy Doug dizzy there's everybody and and and so he he had his own voice and that's great because I would hate for him to imitate somebody else and you know try to sound like someone else even if he idolized them well the concept of he grew up with Clark Terry back in st. Louis and Clark really followed this kind of bebop path his whole life the way dressed the way played the tradition that he played and it's interesting that I think miles is so important is because he kept redefining himself and there's very few people that had that ability or that passion to create something new a new era a new style a new form it's like a chameleon yeah if you around them you know Lenny you can do it you know we have like Levi yeah I'm sorry I can't come in white so I keep going to ready for the scorecards you know to be around them I mean he's like I don't know anybody they used to change clothes five times a day you know no I know I don't know anybody that did there but he that's how it was mine work you look around he'd have another outfit on anyone then you look around but but you know and and the music was always playing so if he around somebody like that and that kind of did that mindset and it can rub off on you you know he and he knew a lot about everything you know he used to tell me when you eat soup take the spoon away from the bowl I never knew that you know those are miles telling me to take the spot away from the world you know don't sleep you know we'd be on the plane I'd have a mouth of easy steak my lips and shut my list never sleep with your mouth open but I mean it's just little things that you know I get down you don't think about that yeah save you money you know what's he gonna stop was he good with finances yeah and he would he was on you know he had daily conversations when we lived in Malibu together he would I lived with him in Malibu and Aaron his son he would always be on the phone with the business guys you know the accountants in business and and always trying to move the music to different not just jazz clubs you know this move it move it move it to concept of rock concert Bill Graham feel more you know he did he wanted to move the music to the masses you know so do you think a Bill Graham approached him or miles approached bill probably mutually that was really successful this idea but he was into that you know the music was changing so he wanted to change with the music and change the audiences you know he got tired of playing the clubs got tired of playing all those sets in the clubs you know but the music moved itself to the to to to bigger wider audiences with the electrics in electronics and so well before we get these electronics you'd mentioned the significance of his Harmon mute I mean if you talk about that in the 50 starting in the 50s I guess maybe it was in the 40s with Miles but he really came on to his own with that sound in the 50s but then you think about how that sound cut through an electric band as well when it when it got might does he ever talk about his sound in the in the heart I mean that's most people recognize miles the sound with the mute did he ever talk about it yeah you know some of those things you wouldn't ask him you know like you're asking me not to not to you know that's why I'm just it's just it's just it was like where's my new you know and sometimes he'd planned a mute would fall out on the stage I mean it's just it was just some sound he once told me he listened to Frank Sinatra for phrasing sometimes Frank Sinatra Billy Eckstine played him Billy Eckstine his big band but he was just always searching for that sound you know and I want to share with everybody he listened to different types of music you know Kasab squidy politi you know Prince I mean this is the man who came up with bebop you know and he said listen to everything you know Tears for Fears you know you guys are probably too young and nobody's it was a it was a show called MTV and he would have he would have him TV with the sound down you know and and when he saw bad he liked he'd turn up the sound and then he called a record label and have the labels sent over the record you know he was just like a sponge I mean to have a hit on a Cyndi Lauper tune it is amazing yeah human nature yeah yeah so back then he was flam you know he was plan standards so there was a point where he stopped playing standards well yeah but I mean he would play what I meant he would play other other songs from other you know other composers but if he liked it he wanted to play we did a broken wings and group called mr. mr. because we'd never released it I mean he never released it but you know if he dug it he wanted to do it then we were recorded or whatever band was working with him at the time when we record it you know I'm just wondering when he oh you got here a truck not to cut you have natural woman Lennie did you ever hear that from from Playboy Jess just read the Franklin song he did that with her being Ron and those guys so who knew but I just wondered before he played Disney songs like Sunday my prince will come probably other jazz musicians didn't go into the Disney repertoire but that was a brilliant thing to do and then I agree then Coltrane did the same thing mm-hmm my favorite things so he wasn't afraid of music at that time that was pop music so he just kept moving for he was fearless man he was a fearless musician you know he was a trailblazer and he lived it and if you around him you could feel it and they would rub off on you too when you you know when we all started bands and and our own careers that's what we wanted to do we wanted to be leaders and he gave us that confidence you know I was watching you talking about the Rhodes piano online today and I know that Theatre Kilimanjaro was I think the first record that Myles used the Rhodes is that right with Herbie yeah yeah and miles was attracted to that sound and and and when on the record date Herbie didn't know what a rose was and there was something off to the side he said play that you know rest is history but who knew you know but you know he really got into technology by the the sixties and seventies but I don't know if he got into technology in the 40s and 50s like when the Hammond organ came in was he attractive I don't know I mean you know is that there's tracks that he has Tony Williams I don't know if you guys know this that Tony's plant temple blocks Chinese temple blocks you know so it's like just be ready for anything with you when you recorded a play live with him oh when you join the band were you old enough to ever be around the 30th Street studio yeah we recorded man with Horner uh-huh so that was an amazing oh yeah place it was a church yeah and so many great recordings were done there kind of blue was done there mhm and just the sound I'm sure Myles was super sensitive about a recording studio and the type of sound he was getting and his era connection was the sound and the approach to the recording was there a relationship with him and T oh yeah I think that um they they they trusted each other I called T OMA Sarah the human ProTools cuz he knew you know he just knew how to how to make the music that that was recorded and he put it together you know to me I mean you say the word genius is I consider T oh yeah well in the next two years were coming up to the fiftieth anniversary of [ __ ] brew hmm and did you didn't have to be at that session as well yeah well you were living in Chicago at the time yeah yeah but I was I was when it came out I was you know so I mean linear even let me said when they recorded it they did you know you didn't know what it was gonna start with they didn't even know what it was gonna sound like he's got a gig of yeah man to the vanguard but he didn't know the finished product of what it was selling Benny Mullen said the same thing you know all the guys that played on it you know he's I think Lenny said he was in San Francisco saw it in a record store any I needed saw his name on it got it and played it but it was nothing like what they recorded you know Benny Marvin said the same thing it was nothing like what they recorded on those sets of days I wonder when they saw it or if Lenny saw in San Francisco if he didn't even know what the title was I don't know I think I think that when the word got out that because there's a telegram out that's floating us on that everybody was shocked that it would they were gonna call this song any record [ __ ] brew so you probably knew by there cuz he probably knew what that's a cold move oh yeah so that's that was Miles his idea probably yeah it was I it was his idea to take to put african-american women on the album covers you know cuz he got tired of women on sailboats miles ahead yeah yeah you know but I mean he was just and then it's the guy that did the art you know this the street characters from on the corner and why we water babies yeah yeah so he's what was was it Miles idea to put Francis Davis and Sicily and those people yeah yeah I'm City well I want my wife on the wreck album covers mm-hmm else don't put it out Wow is he good move oh yeah so let's talk about you in connection with Miles now it's an interesting story how not only you started playing with him but the rest of your band right here we had a band in Chicago and he used to call my mom and have ever put the phone down we were down in the basement and and and so after we played he would have every you know each guy he said man try this you know another another form of critiquing with our band funk band and so one day said you guys want to make a record cuz he was wasn't planned at the time you know yeah we were like yeah then he flew us to a fluid in New York and dr. George Butler oversaw the project he was the head of jazz at Columbia at the time you know he was just happy to order room service all the room service you want it you know and we would rehearse at his house on West set and sprouts tongue and we've recorded like over 30 songs but we were just happy to be playing and be and we call it Miles Davis University and it was great man it's great time but how what was that feeling like for you and for the other band members all of a sudden you're playing with Miles Davis it was it was you know playing with with uncle miles it's it's you don't have time to do anything but grasp the music you don't really have time to get nervous you know you know like when Daryl got the gig you know he didn't it's it's just like Darryl Jones got the gig as he auditioned over the phone I mean you don't have time to really think about you just go at it you know sink or swim so we were ready whether some guys that sank yeah but but just to even have that to be thrown in the pool is you know for me is so what was the first record you did was it start people I didn't matter what the harm was man with the horn yeah and then you're under arrest yeah and that it did aura and I co-produced decoy so man what the horn was that the band that when miles came out played with Saturday Night Live yeah and you were in that band no that was out that was out yeah cuz it was to two bands on the record it was Al Marcus me know those cats and didn't it was our band we did shout and we didn't man with the horn they did the rest so when that record came out how was miles as help it's great he but he was working out going to the gym is a boxing gym called Gleason's he was gonna pick boxing brought it brand new Ferrari got in shape he knew it was time for him to come back people say Yvette's you know you were instrumental in bringing him back I'm like no no no no and he was ready he you know got himself together came out well I guess his physical issues came from he had a car accident yeah hip and it was like hip replacement back then a technology I think he had a metal hip you know it's not like it's it's not as advanced as it is now and diabetes you know a lot of health issues here and that that uh that was plague that plagued him and and he got it all together you know like right when we right when man with the horn and then they did we want miles and that was their live record they did in Boston and and I think it was at the court in Japan too and you were along with those no that was Marcus that was all mark okay Wow so how do you how do you how do you continue but what's the trajectory of your your life after miles and what do you what do you take from that whole experience well for me when I when I play with anybody you know it taught me to be a leader it taught me to not be afraid it taught me to take chances and so I'm a leader of a band called Emmaus electric van that consists of players to play with miles with Darrell Jones myself John Beasley Robert Irvin and then we featured trumpeters like Christian Scott at the end Cheryl Shawn Jones wallace roney Antoine Ronny plays tenor and and but we don't play the music like Lenny like Jack like I like those guys we just play our interpretation of the music and and you know and people people feel that the audiences feel that we're not trying to be those guys but we're trying to you know can you say those that don't consider we're trying to just interpret music outweigh my mother was the schoolteachers oh my gosh but we're just trying to interpret the music our way and it's been pretty well received so it being around him it teaches you just to be creative and not resting on your laurels take chances and and and don't get locked into anything you know I saw a group the other night with detailed logic and and marked a Clive low and they did a Coltrane remix out in LA it was like what the drummer I forgot his name he was playing out keyboards and and Ennis and a hi-hat and a bass drum they were playing a monk tunes I say mama train train they play amongst I'm sorry and he was a monk we visited yeah it was incredible so do you think this is re-energizing jazz music or it's just propelling new music forward what's that do when you redo monk yeah I think that you know it's exciting you know I mean it's great that you have the the basics I mean the standards and and and end up in an Elvin and and and train and Jimmy Garrett's and those guys that recorded the original but then you have these kids the kids that that want to have a different interpretation of the music you know Myles would've dug it loved it I'm sure it's a hard thing and Myles is clearly one of the key icons of jazz of a lot of things that changed music how do we keep him focused in in in the future like a hundred years ago years from now 50 years from now what are people gonna remember well III think they'll remember that you know it's that sound is unique in its in itself so when you hear Mars you know it's miles but what I want everybody to take from this is don't be afraid to to if you want to take milestones and have a mix you know captive remixes or DJ the female DJ or whatever you want to do just do it you know because that's what moves the music forward you know after you get your basics and after you study what you need after you get what you need to get from the music when you start your career or when you start your studies then move it you know move it and don't be afraid to move it the way you hear it you know and that's that's what keeps the music compelling you and keep some music you know there's various point severe there's your point of view about let's keep the movie the music moving forward and accessible and new and exciting and then there's the other ones like let's keep it as a museum yeah and Linnaean I call it the jazz police you know because they want to keep you restricted I don't believe in that you know I didn't I didn't learn that from my uncle you know and he caught a lot of flack for that you know he said when they said he was doing a concert and he came offstage and he did a they had a guy backstage said the critics say well mouse you know I really don't understand what you're doing now with this new music and he looked at me said what am I supposed to wait you know so you can't wait don't wait you know just scold do it court you know it might be another miles here you know sitting sitting in his room just I'm I'm an advocate for moving music forward and and and you know don't come to my concert thing and you're gonna hear you know my funny Valentine is [ __ ] because we don't because we don't we don't think like that yeah you know I've got this guy when Darrell's out with the Rolling Stones as a kid I don't know if you heard him his name is model neon and he was Princeton's last basis and this do wears goggles ski goggles a hoodie and boots and off the bandstand he didn't say two or three words but on the bandstand he said he's ferocious you know a basis Duane he modeled neon Thomas and you know I said man you hungry you wanna go to breakfast no just so you got to music ready you got the set list yes you know and that's all he says Wow everybody plays you know and that's all I don't need to hear it you know you come on the bandstand that's it but he's a monster he's a monster so and he and he's got his own thing you know principally he was before Prince passed away but he was in Prince's van so that's what I'm trying to reaching and find it better and then going you too and I saw this little girl this young girl plant based on I think she's from the Middle East somewhere but she's bad you know she's an ex I interviewed Gary Bart's here and he told me this story that Myles hired him in the 70s and he was hoping that miles would have hired him earlier because he liked playing he would have liked to height standards with miles but he got into the fusion thing and he says played a gig in New York and one in Stony Brook and then the Isle of Wight in front of hundreds of thousands of people and the interesting thing though is he talked about how we categorize music today he was saying that his set with Miles after they played Joni Mitchell played but before they played it was it was a crazy singer named Tiny Tim mm-hmm so if anybody knows who Tiny Tim is he was like this kind of soprano tiptoe through the tulips tiptoe through the - playing ukulele and everybody dug that and then dug miles and then dug Joni and it shows you the diversity of the music industry that I think has changed that you wouldn't go to a club and see maybe your electric miles electric band followed by somebody singing like Tiny Tim I don't know but that would happen today I wish I mean even when we do our meet and greets you know we were we're Calgary and so it's it was older guys you know older jazz cats and they came and said it was how great it was then you had two young all in the same line and he had a young kid Sam is really cool you know so that that's the self-gratification that's what I'd love to see you know don't don't don't close yourself up but I guess that also yeah we're about the Jazz police right you know but in a sense there's there's nobody putting out a diversity of music it's like record companies that exist now or differ from when miles was existing if you pull out a sleeve the inner sleeve from a record and you'd see all this other stuff classical music jazz country Western comedy records and it's like you know it's not just one thing that that catches our emotions and feelings but sometimes like we're here studying jazz we all have jazz records how many of us have other styles of music maybe pop and hip hop and rapid Country and Western maybe not I don't know I blamed it on radio stations and record companies now they're no more there are no more I used to go to tower twos these entire records and just buy a bunch of different music and and and my boys and I we were African American kids on the south side of Chicago but we goes to see Pink Floyd we go seeds and stones and we go see all types of music and go see miles ankles you know I mean and go see whoever whoever was at the Jazz showcase in Chicago and and radio is different now no record stores and you go online and everybody just buys of single no one buys a record anymore we still buy the whole album album and we would have liked listening you know listening parties and just sit down a critique read the record read who was on it and talk about the record you know well liner notes ya know a lot of notes so but it's up to us to to share it and Jan share what that was like and hopefully it was you know everybody doesn't investigate the different records and and get something out of it you know not just one style of music you can still be steeped in jazz with [ __ ] man check out the stones I mean when I go see the Rolling Stones and I talked to Charlie Watts the drummer he loves Tony and he loves Max and he's loves you know all the jazz cats so so it's you know Keith Richards loves Benson loves Jack Macduff loves but buddy guy loves Howlin wolf you know there's no colors no but I don't think miles would have changed so much if he wouldn't have looked outside the box you don't think he would have changed I don't think you know how he changed yeah he never he never even saw ways can you imagine if he just plays tennis all his life you know there probably wouldn't be any [ __ ] brew you know so when we release records my cousin Erin and my cousin Charles called Miles Davis properties we release we like in the vault I wanted to share the process of what it was like to make these these the quintet rock you know the quintet music and what it was like to but the behind the scenes of [ __ ] doing tilma Sarah hated that I did that you know cuz he thought it was supposed to be like a secret like like I Kentucky Fried Chicken with the recipe you know yeah but it's like is it the secret recipe but it's great to share that man you know cuz on the on this quintet box set we call it the bootleg series you could hear Tony plana temple blocks you know and cats calling us and man we never knew Tony Tony had template it was never released but you know Tony was open to to even try playing temple blocks and he was steeped in jazz you know he had a Beatles post on his wall I told wrinkle that and he was like he couldn't believe it you know well tell us about Tony you were close how about I was just afraid of him all the time just afraid I'm afraid when I what he would say but he told Wallace Ronny that he knew I was gonna be to be a drummer you know cuz those guys when they would come to Tony were larger than life and and back then you could go to the gate and meet meet the you know your people you got to pick up so to see them get off the plane it was like wow you know in Ron hat is you know the base and then and you can fly your drums then you didn't have backline back then so Tony had his kid you know skycaps are taking this stuff skycaps a baggage handlers but um it's different it was a different time you know different time so did Tony relish his time with Miles yeah yeah and and and and and he was fearless you know played loud and people didn't understand that now why would he play loud in jazz clubs but he was Tony Williams he did it his way I had heard that he used to push miles to practice yeah he's that's when I coming in practice and I remember that uncle miles fired me he release me and then Tony came to town and I was feeling kind of down and and I went to see him right and he and he looked at me in the mind he said man he did it he said I do your own thing just like that and then I was like tears dried up stop crying and that was all I needed to hear he said he you did it not do y'all thing and that was it but he was that kind of guy Tony was that guy Tony you didn't take any mess you know he kept it moving - he kept the music move it you know he didn't care what people thought I mean when I say he didn't care what people thought yeah you know you have to be kind of like you know fearless in a way we did two miles ahead movie boy I got so many calls from that movie because miles didn't drive a Jaguar miles didn't do this miles didn't wear that kind of built that was a mouse mouthpiece that wasn't this that was that Wow it's like man but we want a Grammy for the best soundtrack you know you gotta take a chance you know you know Don wasn't the right guy Don wasn't this Don wasn't that but I mean how do you how do you even go approach approach putting together a two-hour movie on miles well there was talk that we would receive I was well my cousins and I'm going receiving a 2006 in 2006 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Award and backstage when you when you get in the ward you go to the press corps and some guy said well who do you see playing your uncle and biopic and I said Don Cheadle I didn't know Don Cheadle I never met her but I saw him in a movie called Devil in a blue dress he played a guy and just as this it's the way he would look at denzel's like this uncle miles and so by the time we got back to LA our lawyer called us his agent that's how we that's how we got it started and it was supposed to be Antoine Fuqua - did training datadirect and it hurt me to score but Antoine did the budget didn't allow it and Antoine went on to do equalizer at the time but Denzel and Herbie was doing this global he needs always all over the place oh so Don said what we think about me directly and I said well you sure you want to be on both sides of the camera because you know you playing miles and it's a lot of pressure he said I think I can do it and I said hey man you got my blessings and I wanted to encourage him say yeah man cuz I felt like we should I'm gonna pick you you know so I'm gonna rally man be right there with you and and then at the time we couldn't get a he we can figure on a composer so he said what do you think about Robert glass but now Roberts never record never scored a movie and but he's fast and he and he you know he loves all types of music and he's talented I say hey man go for it so these were all first you know as miles probably would have done and and you know you stay in touch with Herbie and Wayne oh yeah did like my father you know make my uncles you know Wayne as a graduate of this program really man when I look at those guys III still I feel like a little kid I'm still look like a little kid where I'm Ron and I just saw Ron he was out in LA last week but I still feel like a five-year-old cuz they still have that kind of thing and my heart I can't find the words what to say what did you know I played with Ron I was we played in San Francisco I was like you know just like wow after all these years I just keep going oh yeah you know Wayne came here and he made this comment yeah he says that music gives you a ticket to the universe meaning it's it's unlimited and yeah you choose music and you don't know where your you're gonna end up like him you know he could have stayed in Newark mm-hmm and certainly it's changed your life yeah yeah thank God and certainly who miles we're miles grew up and in the 30s st. Louis was teasing me Sanders was certainly someplace he couldn't have imagined where he ended up was like living on Mars so I mean he didn't even go to high school graduation my mom accept this diploma as a high school diploma he was gone he was it to New York already or you know he went like he wouldn't like that week I guess so he didn't make the graduation I mean he's you know he got his depart but he didn't make the ceremony I don't think what do you think he was like as a kid was he he say very much he was withdrawn and just focused on the trumpet or he was he was outgoing I don't know it's a good question I think he's probably just focused on his heart you know he had a paper route you know back then he like nice clothes but his dad was like that his uncles were like that so that rubbed off on him hmm did you ever meet any of his uncle's yeah yeah is a Napoleon uncle Knapp we called him and he was a mathematician like credible mathematician and then my uncle I mean my grandfather was first one of the first african-american to attend northwestern dental school and he had a he had a um a farm when when blacks can even drink out of water fountain you know he was so he was a leader you know probably that's my uncle mouths got a lot of his his uh was that a community like that or was he special did he figure it out a way out well you know if he around that mean your dad and your uncles those like smiles his father was he an anomaly in that community oh yeah everybody choke a Jaguar Wow you know you can't drink on one farm but you got this black man driving a Jag so long come on you know and was loved by all you know revered by it you know not just african-american so what was says the relation is miles ever talked about his relationship with his father did he want him to go into music he didn't want to do some a dentist well my grandmother wanted him to play violin and and he's sitting on this this you know give him a hard and then he found him a teacher mr. Buchanan so I think that that my grandfather my grandmother probably felt she gave up on the violin because he was gonna do that so they come a little Davis buddy but he found the trumpet at the right time when the commercial music supported swing and early Bebop I guess and you fell right into [ __ ] baby that was unknown what he would become yeah listen to the radio that the big bands thrown the radio and and they would go down on the riverboat used to say if the drummers if the drummer didn't set his drums up right there this is he and his boys would leave they would just look at the drummer first you know so all of that you know heavy heavy it is heavy is there any other research on miles that's happening like his early life or his career as this we mean is there anybody that we're doing a documentary now with a guy named Stanley Nelson for um for American masters Stanley Nelson direct he just did a documentary on the Black Panther Party so and then there's talk of another movie come from the book miles and me on Quincy to book with the guy from the wire misses name you guys know his name huh no this the doctor I just met him Michael Michael huh William something Kate Williams Mike okay we have something here he's got a scar like I was way nice cat you know but you know it and I talked to Donna by the Don said hey man the more the merrier you know he said have scores say CSU did you want to would you could he do a mouse movie what would you do would you turn them down like no you know so Michael Kate way invested well now it's out there so Scorsese is also a graduate of this school oh really so I mean down was you're saying well now people Martin oh I ran into James Cameron he was he was love my house you know this heavy this heavy um when I don't know if you guys saw the equalizer but Antoine said he would have miles music in his headphones as he was directing Denzel and equalizer now they're doing equalizer too you know what caesarian what did you think of Denzel and mo better blues those good with some reason I thought he was calling the house to talk to miles around that time you know and I know Terence Blanchard played a bunch of trumpet parts but I remember study school Jeff Watson's guy yeah so we have all these students here do you have any encouraging words of wisdom you can offer for people trying to find a creative path and opportunities in life like you have in your uncle I just I just stress the fearless part of it don't be afraid don't be afraid to just step outside of your comfort zone you know Lennie didn't do it Lenny fearless I try to be fearless mazels fearless I mean you you I find if I if I stay complacent or comfortable then I don't grow you know so for all you guys and girls ladies go for it go for it go for it just go don't be afraid cuz cuz you can you can yummy people can tell you why did you do this in it it can kind of hurt you for a minute but let me just brush this [ __ ] off and just like you know got it you got it you have to have a tough skin in this business no matter who you are you know this smiles had a tough skin but just thank God he had the tough skin to move the music forward to accomplish the things that he accomplished you know and to be around them and watch them change clothes and watch them do this and watch them think this and talk this and and know about stocks and and take your spoon away from your soup I mean it all of that is like damn and you plant the hell out of a trumpet and you know about all this other stuff too you know so you can never stop learning and don't don't stop learning and don't stop absorbing and listening and listen to all types of music you know because you could hear something in another style of music another you know you don't have to just be locked in the jazz can I say yes you know because you can get some ideas out about the music - you'd be surprised like like I was talking about guy from the Foo Fighters how much he loves Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl they love jazz and I was like it's it's jazz is to me the blues and jazz and then there's the rest of the world so it always it all starts with that I'm just letting you talk no I mean it it's the way I was talking it's the way I learned that that you know growing up in Chicago man we would do gigs of data at a polish festival playing pokers then we turn around and play blues one night new turnaround play jazz one night yeah so you know guess that's why I'm fearless now cuz you didn't have time you don't have time to be you can get nervous but after the first one or two songs in it the butterflies leave but what I guess what I'm trying to say is don't lock yourself in you know I don't mean to put down jazz because ya started jazz is the root blues and jazz that's the but you know like a flower just grows well Vince thanks for joining us tonight thanks for having me okay [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: NYU Steinhardt Jazz Studies

Views: 960

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: NYU Jazz Studies, NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, Miles Davis, Vince Wilburn, Combo Nuvo, David Schroeder, Dr. David Schroeder, www.combonuvo.com

Id: KI-5KQGvjs8

Length: 49min 48sec (2988 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 08 2019