He plays rhythm. He plays off the beat. He plays on the upbeats. He'll play a rhythmic phrase in order to get the attention going. He's not just thinking harmonically and melodically. He's thinking rhythm. It's like a drummer. He would constantly talk about rhythm…. Coltrane was straight ahead, it wasn't about rhythm, it was about lines and motion. With Miles this thing was about up and down, get in between the beats, in between – like boxing…. When you think about Miles' playing…. it's a ballet. It's a dance. It's a ball bouncing. It's not like some stream of air or stream of water.

Dave Liebman, recalling playing with Miles Davis in the early '70s.