Creativity Quote by Miles Davis

I’ll play it and tell you what it is later. (Opening studio chatter before track 1, "If I Were a Bell"; recorded October 26, 1956). The quote does not appear to come from a book, speech, or printed interview. The strongest evidence points to it being spoken by Miles Davis in the studio at the start of "If I Were a Bell," which opens the album Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. Multiple sources identify this as the source, and contemporary descriptions place it as studio chatter addressed to producer Bob Weinstock. The album was released in March 1958, though the relevant track was recorded on October 26, 1956. That means the earliest spoken occurrence is likely the 1956 recording session, while the earliest publication/release I could verify is the 1958 Prestige album. I did not find a verifiable earlier printed primary source. Some later sources paraphrase it as "I'll play it first and tell you what it is later," suggesting minor wording variation in circulation. Support for this attribution comes from the official Miles Davis album page, which dates the album to March 1958, and from liner-note reproductions and album references noting that before a note is played Miles says this line. ([milesdavis.com](https://www.milesdavis.com/albums/relaxin-with-the-miles-davis-quintet/?utm_source=openai))