--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never considered Miles Davis a…" description: "\"I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always considered him as an excellence-ist, where deviation is actually kind of cool.\" — Charlie Trotter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/charlie-trotter-9546_actually_i-never-considered-miles-davis-a-perfect_178559.png" --- # I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always… ![“I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always considered him as an excellence-ist, where deviation is actually kind of cool.” quote by Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/charlie-trotter-9546_actually_i-never-considered-miles-davis-a-perfect_178559.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/charlie-trotter-9546_actually_i-never-considered-miles-davis-a-perfect_178559.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/charlie-trotter-9546_actually_i-never-considered-miles-davis-a-perfect_178559.png) > “I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always considered him as an excellence-ist, where deviation is actually kind of cool.” [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Miles Davis was not a perfectionist but an "excellence-ist," embracing deviation as a cool, creative force. **In simple terms:** Davis valued excellence and creative deviation. Key Takeaway Celebrate creative imperfections. Themes creativity excellence innovation Mood inspired reflective Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - music production - creative work - leadership Key Concepts artistic philosophy musical expression Questions to Reflect On - How does embracing deviation enhance art? - What does "excellence-ist" mean to you? A Different Perspective Some may view deviation as lack of skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Considered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considered/) [Cool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cool/) [Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/davis/) [Davis Perfectionist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/davis-perfectionist-1915116/) [Deviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deviation/) [Deviation Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deviation-actually-1915117/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/him/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miles/) [Miles davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miles-davis/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Perfectionist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionist/) [Perfectionist Considered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionist-considered-1915118/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) ## Related quotes > [Miles Davis himself, I discovered him when I was 15, and he rocked my world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/miles-davis-himself-i-discovered-him-when-i-was-15-and-he-rocked-my/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) > [When I have to compete with John Coltrane and Miles Davis and Louie Armstrong on iTunes, which I'm doing now, that's a problem. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/when-i-have-to-compete-with-john-coltrane-and-miles-davis-and-louie/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) > [Music gives me a lot of peace, either classic music with its structure or the spontaneity of Miles Davis. It brings the best in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/music-gives-me-a-lot-of-peace-either-classic-music-with-its-structure/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [No one told Miles Davis or BB King to pack it in. John Lee Hooker played literally up to the day he died. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/no-one-told-miles-davis-or-bb-king-to-pack-it-in-john-lee-hooker/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [I saw Al Foster with Miles Davis the other week. It was beautiful. But, the whole thing was, Al Foster played as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-watts/i-saw-al-foster-with-miles-davis-the-other-week-it-was-beautiful-but/) [Charlie Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-watts/) > [I believe, from reading biographies, that the great musicians have also been great cooks: Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-cullum/i-believe-from-reading-biographies-that-the-great-musicians-have-also/) [Jamie Cullum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-cullum/) > [The only person I have regrets about is Miles Davis. He and I had become good friends after we did a photo shoot, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nile-rodgers/the-only-person-i-have-regrets-about-is-miles-davis-he-and-i-had/) [Nile Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nile-rodgers/) > [For me, a wake-up playlist completely depends on what mood I'm in. If I need to get into action pretty quick, it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mvula/for-me-a-wake-up-playlist-completely-depends-on-what-mood-i-m-in-if-i/) [Laura Mvula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mvula/) > [I have tons of jazz records: John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis. I could go on and on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-king/i-have-tons-of-jazz-records-john-coltrane-thelonious-monk-miles-davis/) [Ted King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-king/) > [I love nineties stuff like Alice in Chains and Nine Inch Nails. It'd be my dream to have a Radiohead-themed episode of 'Glee.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-salling/i-love-nineties-stuff-like-alice-in-chains-and-nine-inch-nails-it-d/) [Mark Salling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-salling/) > [My musical influences are from the '50s: Bill Evans, Miles Davis and Ahmad Jamal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/my-musical-influences-are-from-the-50s-bill-evans-miles-davis-and/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [Miles Davis was a part of my life from 1947 on. I was born in 1941 and I first heard him in 1947 on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chick-corea/miles-davis-was-a-part-of-my-life-from-1947-on-i-was-born-in-1941-and/) [Chick Corea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chick-corea/) > [Miles Davis is a major influence of mine in terms of the way that I am as a bandleader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefon-harris/miles-davis-is-a-major-influence-of-mine-in-terms-of-the-way-that-i/) [Stefon Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefon-harris/) > [If we are going to list guitar influences, the biggest one by far is Wes Montgomery. Also, Gary Burton was obviously huge for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/if-we-are-going-to-list-guitar-influences-the-biggest-one-by-far-is/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [I listen to Miles Davis and Slipknot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lukather/i-listen-to-miles-davis-and-slipknot/) [Steve Lukather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lukather/) ## More by Charlie Trotter > [I don't want to turn 50 and say, 'Gosh, I wish I'd lived in that part of the world for a time. I wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-don-t-want-to-turn-50-and-say-gosh-i-wish-i-d-lived-in-that-part-of/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [If people give me a year or two of their best effort, then I am their friend for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/if-people-give-me-a-year-or-two-of-their-best-effort-then-i-am-their/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [You know the old adage that the customer's always right? Well, I kind of think that the opposite is true. The customer is rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/you-know-the-old-adage-that-the-customer-s-always-right-well-i-kind/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [I wasn't using college as a stepping stone to law school or some other career. I just wanted a liberal-arts education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-wasn-t-using-college-as-a-stepping-stone-to-law-school-or-some/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [There has been no great surprise, no sudden revelation. I knew pretty much what I was getting into. What I've learned is that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/there-has-been-no-great-surprise-no-sudden-revelation-i-knew-pretty/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [Sometimes I think I should have chosen a line of work where it was just me alone in the room, with the sun coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/sometimes-i-think-i-should-have-chosen-a-line-of-work-where-it-was/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [I'm really not that comfortable with people. I mean, I love individuals, but I'm not very social.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-m-really-not-that-comfortable-with-people-i-mean-i-love-individuals/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [I have a goal so lofty it's almost embarrassing to talk about. And that's to be the best restaurant in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-have-a-goal-so-lofty-it-s-almost-embarrassing-to-talk-about-and/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [At home, a man is entitled to raise his voice maybe once a year, if something really gets under his skin. At work, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/at-home-a-man-is-entitled-to-raise-his-voice-maybe-once-a-year-if/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [In a time when it is common for chefs to simply reproduce the innovations of others, the few who speak for themselves through their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/in-a-time-when-it-is-common-for-chefs-to-simply-reproduce-the/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [I worked in 40 restaurants over a five-year period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-worked-in-40-restaurants-over-a-five-year-period/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [I love faltering. I love, in a sense, coming up short. Because you learn nothing from success. 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