"Miles was an intelligent man, by all accounts,
and must have become increasingly aware of the power of his personal charisma,
especially in the later years as he watched his reputation grow
over his declining trumpeting skills.

Perhaps he said to himself: 'These people are hearing a lot more context than music,
so perhaps I accept that I am now primarily a context maker.
My art is not just what comes out of the end of my trumpet or appears on a record,
but a larger experience which is intimately connected to who I appear to be,
to my life and charisma, to the Miles Davis story."

In that scenario, the 'music', the sonic bit, could end up being
quite a small part of the whole experience.

Developing the context - the package, the delivery system, the buzz,
the spin, the story - might itself become the art." - Brian Eno [from The Wire Dec./Jan. 1993]

(sb search)