Who Was The Better Composer

Sean Trane wrote: I'd vote Miles, but one has to know that Miles appropriated himself some of the tunes on his albums that were other's labour.... His writing and playing skills were not that fabulous.... Miles' main qualities were elsewhere... He was more of hap^pener, creating the moments and occasions for things to happen... therefore the man was more more an event artistes than a purely creational (hopefully, you guys will understand where I'm getting at because it's not that easy for me to make it clear) .... he felt things out a lot more than most others.... but often, on the technical or virtuosity side, he was just a tad more than average   Miles had indeed questionable work ethics and rules a bit as a tyrant (a bit like Mingus did too)   But between Miles & Wayne, I'll go for Miles

  I Believe a clear line needs to be drawn between early Miles and later Miles, Clearly his trumpet work was not much better than average compared to Gillespie or Clifford Brown for instance, Though his tone and use of space, can not be overlooked, But later period Miles, from Seven Steps to Heaven on, he was no slouch, and it is quite startling hearing his technique improve throughout the Mid to late 60's on into the electric music, compared to the early 50's, he certainly was way above average, if not in the elite,

What brought the idea for this thread around was particulary the two albums "Sorceror and "Nefertiti". Miles did not use one composition of his own. Wayne Shorter provided 50% + of the material on both with the other band members adding some as well. I was thinking more Bop than Fusion as Wayne's Blue Note albums are nothing to be sneezed at either. I agree that Miles Davis will be remembered far above Wayne Shorter but Wayne wrote some beauties before the seventies. "Speak No Evil", "Night Dreamer" are fab albums.

Miles wrote nearly all the Fusion material that came after starting with "Filles de Kilimanjaro" but still "Sanctuary" is real highlight off Bitches Brew being the only one from Wayne on the album.