Donna Lee Composed by Miles Davis?

**docbop** · 11-30-2014, 10:49 PM

I'm rereading the Miles Davis autobiography read it when it first came out way back when. Well tonight I was read and he claims he wrote Donna Lee for the Charlie Parker album he was on. That the record company screwed up crediting Bird. He said it was no big deal from a financial standpoint so he just left it be. Has anyone else every heard this the Miles wrote Donna Lee?

Say one thing Miles loved Bird a lot of the early part of the book is about Bird and Miles praising him.

**Patrick2** · 11-30-2014, 11:13 PM

doc . . you've been around a long time. You've seen many of the greats many times. You know Bird's music. You know Miles' music. Does Donna Lee sound like something Miles would have written? Miles wrote that book after Bird was gone. Who's gonna be able to dispute Miles' claim? I really don't know if it's true or not. But, that tune doesn't sound at all like Miles.

**Stuart Elliott** · 11-30-2014, 11:14 PM

There does seem to some who think that Miles was the real composer of "Donna Lee." On the other hand, there is a much wider shared view that Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson wrote "Four" and "Tune Up," two tunes credited to Miles Davis.

**sgcim** · 11-30-2014, 11:23 PM

The evolution of Donna Lee started as early as the late 1930s, when Tiny Kahn wrote a tune based on the changes to "Indiana" that was very similar to Donna Lee.
My guess is that it was one of those lines which changed at jam sessions back in the 40s from Tiny Kahn's original line, and evolved into how Bird interpreted it on that recording session.

**pkirk** · 11-30-2014, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by Stuart Elliott

There does seem to some who think that Miles was the real composer of "Donna Lee." On the other hand, there is a much wider shared view that Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson wrote "Four" and "Tune Up," two tunes credited to Miles Davis.

this come up in a *great* interview with Lou Donaldson

https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2014...story-project/

Tal Farlow also makes a cameo in this interview.

**docbop** · 11-30-2014, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick2

doc . . you've been around a long time. You've seen many of the greats many times. You know Bird's music. You know Miles' music. Does Donna Lee sound like something Miles would have written? Miles wrote that book after Bird was gone. Who's gonna be able to dispute Miles' claim? I really don't know if it's true or not. But, that tune doesn't sound at all like Miles.

Back then Miles was hearing Bird almost every night and emulating everything of Bird that he could. He had gone through his phase of copying Dizzy (in a lower register). Also per the book that was the time he was Bird's musical director so they were very close.

Also like the other said all those guys were jamming after gigs so I image there were lines/heads that evolved out of the jams that become tunes. Probably who ever decided to claim it on a album first.

I can believe Miles could of written it being Bird was his mentor, can also believe Miles is just talking sh**t too. Just thought I'd throw out the question and see what other have heard. It's fun reading Dizzy, Miles, Monk, and Coltrane with Bird next up. So reading different version of so some incidents. I'd say Dizzy is probably the most reliable source since he was the one who was dealing without any demons.

**acoustictones** · 12-01-2014, 12:05 AM

First off I'll just say that I love that book! Second, I don't think it's much of a stretch to think that he may have actually written Donna Lee. Miles was still young and impressionable (as much as he ever could be for such a leader), and he LOVED Bird and Dizzy. He even discusses in the book that he was playing a lot faster lines that sounded more like Dizzy when he first started playing with Bird, until he started realizing that Bird just wanted Miles to play like himself and not try to be another Dizzy. So although it may not sound like the Miles we know of from Kind Of Blue, and other Miles classics, I could totally see him being influenced by all the bebop and coming up with something like Donna Lee at that point in his life.

**Petimar** · 12-01-2014, 12:41 AM

Listen to the rhythmic structure of Donna Lee and the a known Parker piece like Confirmation. To me, Donna Lee never sounded like a Parker tune.

**danwaineo** · 12-01-2014, 01:27 AM

Some good info here. I agree it doesn't really sound like a Parker tune to me.

Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Donna Lee)

**Stevebol** · 12-01-2014, 01:42 AM

Miles wrote it.

**sgcim** · 12-01-2014, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by acoustictones

First off I'll just say that I love that book! Second, I don't think it's much of a stretch to think that he may have actually written Donna Lee. Miles was still young and impressionable (as much as he ever could be for such a leader), and he LOVED Bird and Dizzy. He even discusses in the book that he was playing a lot faster lines that sounded more like Dizzy when he first started playing with Bird, until he started realizing that Bird just wanted Miles to play like himself and not try to be another Dizzy. So although it may not sound like the Miles we know of from Kind Of Blue, and other Miles classics, I could totally see him being influenced by all the bebop and coming up with something like Donna Lee at that point in his life.

If you listen to Miles, he'll claim he wrote everything attributed to him, but there's proof he ripped off those tunes named above, plus "Solar' from Chuck Wayne, and "Blue in Green" from Bill Evans.
As far as him being able to play like Dizzy when he was first playing with Bird, that's more MD BS.
A pianist I used to play with, who recorded with Woody Herman and went on the road with Chet Baker, said that he and his musician friends used to laugh Miles off the stand when he was playing with Bird, because he couldn't cut any of Bird's fast stuff.

**jasaco** · 12-01-2014, 02:06 AM

Originally Posted by sgcim

...he and his musician friends used to laugh Miles off the stand when he was playing with Bird, because he couldn't cut any of Bird's fast stuff.

Oh, that's just cuz Miles wrote Donna Lee... as a ballad!

**henryrobinett** · 12-01-2014, 01:47 PM

WTF. TWICE I wrote a comment on this thread about this and twice it didn't post. Forget it.

**danwaineo** · 12-01-2014, 01:52 PM

Henry,

Try again if you wouldn't mind. I'm interested in your comments.

**henryrobinett** · 12-01-2014, 02:45 PM

It does NOT want me to post this. Third time I was booted again. Here.

I believe it's commonly accepted that Miles wrote Donna Lee. He didn't write Four, Solar, Milestones (1st version) or maybe a bunch of others he claimed to have written. I'm not actually sure what Miles wrote or whether he ever wrote anything. But I believe he did write it. The lines don't sound like Bird to me. Plus it's not REALLY a fast tune. More like medium up, at least originally. Right up Miles' alley.

**Stevebol** · 12-01-2014, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

It does NOT want me to post this. Third time I was booted again. Here.

I believe it's commonly accepted that Miles wrote Donna Lee. He didn't write Four, Solar, Milestones (1st version) or maybe a bunch of others he claimed to have written. I'm not actually sure what Miles wrote or whether he ever wrote anything. But I believe he did write it. The lines don't sound like Bird to me. Plus it's not REALLY a fast tune. More like medium up, at least originally. Right up Miles' alley.

I agree. I think the intro is too polished for Bird too.

**Stevebol** · 12-01-2014, 02:53 PM

Whoever wrote it it's a great tune. I slow it down and give it a New Jack Swing beat.

**grahambop** · 12-01-2014, 03:07 PM

Miles was writing quite complicated tunes at that time, e.g. Sippin' at Bells. So I think he could easily have written Donna Lee.

**henryrobinett** · 12-01-2014, 03:21 PM

Anyone who thinks Miles was a slacker needs to check him again. I've done a LOT of Miles transcriptions. There's always a lot more under the hood than might first meet the ear. Miles was a BRILLIANT musician.

**grahambop** · 12-01-2014, 03:29 PM

'Dig' reminds me of Donna Lee too.

**docbop** · 12-01-2014, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

Anyone who thinks Miles was a slacker needs to check him again. I've done a LOT of Miles transcriptions. There's always a lot more under the hood than might first meet the ear. Miles was a BRILLIANT musician.

or read Miles book, he worked his ass off studying the instrument, harmony, theory, arranging, composition. From being a kid in St. Louis to moving to New York to learn more he dedicated himself to music. He quit some bands, even ones paying well because he was being musically challenged. He earned his place on the bandstand with all the big names. He also seemed underestimate his skills and sometimes had to be pushed by others to play the big jams and try out for some of the big name bands. No doubt Miles inquisitive and search out the answers sometimes no matter how big a pest he had to be to get meet those that he could learn from.

From reading the book so far and thinking about interviews with ex-Miles band members, Parker's influence on Miles is deep. The way Miles put together his bands and ran them seems to mirror how Parker treated Miles. I'd say if you don't like Miles then you don't like Parker.

**mr. beaumont** · 12-01-2014, 04:00 PM

I think the big problem is that a lot of folks who do a bare minimum of listening do a lot of talking/writing perpetuating stereotypes about players...miles played slow and simple, bill evans only played "lyrical ballads," hank mobley couldn't hang on uptempo stuff, grant green just played blues, Chet Baker couldn't play bop, Dave Brubeck didn't swing...so much BS out there...

**MarkRhodes** · 12-01-2014, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

WTF. TWICE I wrote a comment on this thread about this and twice it didn't post. Forget it.

Henry, I see you were eventually able to post on this thread. I'm glad of that. As for the problem with posting, did you figure out what it was? If you (or anyone else) is having trouble posting, the moderators want to hear about it so the problem can be addressed. (You'd be surprised at what the problems sometimes turn out to be!)

**MarkRhodes** · 12-01-2014, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

'Dig' reminds me of Donna Lee too.

"Dig" is one of my favorite tracks from the Prestige period. Along with "Serpent's Tooth."

**henryrobinett** · 12-01-2014, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Henry, I see you were eventually able to post on this thread. I'm glad of that. As for the problem with posting, did you figure out what it was? If you (or anyone else) is having trouble posting, the moderators want to hear about it so the problem can be addressed. (You'd be surprised at what the problems sometimes turn out to be!)

I'm on a cruise ship in the Carribean. I think that's the problem. Well not a problem per se.