This interview was recorded in September 1955 and broadcast probably a month later as part of Dahlgren's "Jazzglimtar
från USA" show. For more information about the circumstances of the interview, see Lewis Porter's
account at his Playback substack.
Dahlgren: Hi Miles, it's really a pleasure to see you again.
Davis: Hello, Claes.
Dahlgren: Eh, Miles, of course, uh, I have met you, uh, since, but the last time you were on this program was in 1951,
if you remember. Do you think anything important has happened in jazz since then? I mean, comparable, for instance to
what happened between 1941 and '45 when bop was born, so to speak. Anything like that happen lately?
Davis: I don't think that's happened again, since Charlie and Dizzy... There are a couple guys like Sonny Rollins
and Cannonball... and Clifford...
Dahlgren: This Cannonball, have you heard him play? I haven't in fact...
Davis: He sounds like, um, Bird used to sound in 1942 when he was with Jay McShann.
Dahlgren: Oh, well, that should be good enough really, huh? Um, Miles, I think that most of the fans are familiar with
your career since the middle '40s, but maybe you can tell us a little bit about how you got started in jazz. When was that?
Davis: Well, I started, you see, when I was fourteen, and, uh, I got a trumpet instead of a violin for, for my birthday, and, uh...
Dahlgren: Otherwise we might have been listening to Miles Davis and his magic violin by now if you didn't press on [?]
Davis: The first song I tried to play was "Stardust" --
Dahlgren: Oh, really?
Davis: I learned it by, um, markin' down the fingering --
Dahlgren: Oh...
Davis: Instead of the notes, cause I couldn't read at that time.
Dahlgren: Oh, I see, so it was your own system. Uh, I saw in a recent Down Beat magazine that you like the Swedish
piano player, I guess you know his name is Bengt Hallberg. What do you like about him, Miles?
Davis: I think he's one of the greatest pianists I have heard --
Dahlgren: Oh yeah?
Davis: Jazz...
Dahlgren: Mm-hmm.
Davis: 'Cause he plays good up in the high register, which I never cared... for before.
Dahlgren: Oh, I see. Well, he has a running, a working... [undecipherable]. Well he might come some night.
Eh, something I didn't know, Miles, until recently is that you're a boxing fan (laughter) --
have you got to the boxing bouts very often?
Davis: Well, I go when I can. And I usually go up to the gym about... three times a week.
Dahlgren: Oh, and work out yourself?
Davis: [undecipherable]
Dahlgren: Oh yeah? Have to be careful with your lips there, you know?
Davis: I don't get in the ring...
Dahlgren: Oh, oh -- maybe you keep to the, uh, punching bag, huh?
Davis: Just the punching bag.
Dahlgren (laughing): Oh... Eh, Miles, uh, I see there's a brand new LP record out by you. Could you tell
us a little about it -- a little bit about it?
Davis: Well, there's Red Garland on piano, and Oscar Pettiford on bass, Philly --
Dahlgren: Yeah?
Davis: Joe Jones on drums, and... I'm playin' trumpet.
Dahlgren: Uh-huh. Well, that's, uh, why we're buyin' the record you know, to listen to Miles Davis...
Uh, which tune do you think we should play from this new record, huh?
Davis: Well, "A Gal in Calico" sounds pretty good.
Dahlgren: Mmm-hmm. That's an old, uh, pop tune, isn't it, huh?
Davis: I think Benny Goodman recorded it --
Dahlgren: Yeah, I think so too, a few --
Davis: A few years ago.
Dahlgren: Well, let's listen to it right, right now.
There follows a short Swedish introduction to "A Gal in Calico" (0:17), and a longer closing comment in Swedish (1:46).
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