A Study in Character: Luke and Miles
by Arda Darakjian Clark

In the last two months, Luke has mentioned Miles Davis on three occasions. On the first, Luke told Felicia the tale of Miles hooking up with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in Billy Eckstine's band. While I was delighted by this reference to Miles, I chalked it up to the influence of Jazz, the recent documentary produced by Ken Burns. On the second occasion, Luke was seen with headphones on a flight back from Istanbul with Roy. When Roy asked Luke what he was listening to, Luke said "Miles Davis. Kind of Blue. Manna from the gods of jazz." This time I thought there was more to this very specific reference to Miles and Kind of Blue than simple current buzz. By the time Luke mentioned Miles for the third time (in inviting Felicia to come up to his apartment to listen to music), I was certain that here was a relationship worth examining.

Luke has spoken about music on many occasions. He has made mention of blues performers such as B.B. King, who played at Luke's on opening night, as well as Robert Johnson, Etta James, and electric blues in general. He's also spoken of swing and doo-wop music. He's even sung "Stand by Your Man." However, aside from describing the jazz cadence of Mary Mae's speech patterns at her funeral, I don't recall Luke mentioning jazz prior to the recent references to Miles. I found it interesting, too, that Roy described Luke's club (noted for playing "nothing but the blues") as a "jazz and blues club" to the banker recently threatening Luke with foreclosure. Perhaps it's not surprising that a blues fan would also like jazz, but I do think the writers have an express intent in asking the viewers to now see Luke as a jazz fan.

More specifically, the writers are asking viewers to see Luke as a Miles Davis fan. If the writers' intent was simply to latch on to the current jazz buzz, they could have had Luke refer to jazz in general or mention different jazz musicians each time. It's possible that the writers wanted to select a well-known jazz musician and therefore selected Miles. But while it is true that Miles Davis is one of the most famous jazz figures, he is no more famous than say Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington or John Coltrane. Given the number of times Luke has mentioned Miles, and given the other musicians he could have named, I think a case can be made that the writers have an express intent to portray Luke as a Miles Davis fan.

So what is it about Miles that would make Luke Spencer a fan? My first thought is that Luke appreciates the personal style of Miles Davis. Miles, dapper and stylish, was the embodiment of cool in his ubiquitous dark shades. Quincy Jones has said that "there is a style called Miles Davis." At the same time, Miles was surly, aloof, caustic, foul-mouthed, and frequently rude. His demeanor earned him the nickname "Prince of Darkness"--a title he loved. He would not greet his audience or smile on stage or take bows. At times, he played with his back to the audience and left the stage in between his solos. In short, he had an "attitude problem"--attitude that Luke understands very well. Consider the "pep talk" he gave his staff in December of 1997:

Luke: We gotta go for a new attitude. No more of this yes sir, no sir, whatever you say ma'am. I mean, you know, we're too polite. I mean, look at them. The customer's always right? I don't think so; look at this crowd. You know why they come in here? They come in here because we are cool. And because they would like to achieve a little cooldom for themselves."

Miles could be as bad as he wanted to be because when he raised his trumpet and played, all was forgiven. Miles didn't become a jazz icon because he was a bad-ass; he became an icon because he was a masterful trumpet player and composer. While he was surly and bad-tempered, his trumpet playing was lyrical and warm. While his behavior might be described as "out of control," his playing was precise and controlled and disciplined.

I imagine that Luke would appreciate the paradox of being in control while appearing to be out of control. Most Port Charles citizens view Luke as a sort of "loose cannon," capable of any outrageous behavior. But while it is true that he is at times outrageous, Luke rarely acts in a random fashion. He doesn't always achieve his goals and he sometimes underestimates his obstacles, but Luke typically has a plan to follow. There's almost always a method to his madness (witness the recent "kidnapping" of Nikolas, designed to get information from Helena about Lucky's brainwashing).

While Miles allows his music to express his warmth and gentleness, Luke has a core of gentleness that he typically reserves for his family. Luke may be rude and disrespectful toward most everyone, but he is protective toward the people he loves--Bobbie, Lucky, Lulu, and Laura. Laura, in particular, whom Luke has viewed as his "angel" and "salvation," evokes a tender-hearted response in Luke. Just like Miles Davis contains his brusque and lyrical selves, so Luke Spencer contains the persona of the surly street hustler and the devoted lover.

Another aspect of Miles that Luke would appreciate is that he was restless and experimental. Miles was a musical chameleon. He experimented with virtually every form of jazz throughout his long career, repeatedly changing musical styles--from bebop to cool jazz to orchestral arrangements to modal jazz to fusion. Luke, too, is restless and experimental. He frequently leaves town in search of something or someone, and he's often in disguise or carrying false passports or faking an accent. (By comparing Miles's changes in musical style to Luke's disguises I don't mean to imply that there was anything at all fake about Miles's musical experiments. I simply want to suggest that Luke would appreciate a mercurial nature such as Miles's.)

While it's easy to see how Luke would find Miles's personal and behavioral styles appealing, it's a bit more difficult to understand and account for the appeal of Miles's music. This is true not only because it's tricky to discuss a fictional character's musical preferences, but also because the music of Miles Davis cannot be easily categorized. As I stated above, Miles changed musical styles repeatedly throughout his life. Would Luke like bebop Miles or would he like fusion Miles? Would he like cool jazz or hard bop?

On the first and third occasions Luke mentioned Miles, he didn't make any references to specific Miles recordings. But on the second occasion, he specifically praised Kind of Blue as "manna from the gods of jazz." (Luke's comment wasn't entirely original--he was echoing drummer Jimmy Cobb's words that the music "must have been made in heaven.") Luke's not alone in his assessment--just check out the 250+ five star recommendations on amazon.com. I, too, agree with Luke, but I admit that I was a little surprised to hear him talk with such reverence about Kind of Blue. I would have expected Luke to prefer fusion Miles or funked-up electric Miles. It would have surprised me less to hear Luke say he was listening to Bitches Brew, but I was thrilled to hear him say Kind of Blue.

Recorded in 1959, Kind of Blue is considered not only a masterpiece in Miles Davis's output, but one of the landmark recordings in jazz. Miles, who had recorded with bebop luminaries such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, wanted to move away from the harmonic complexity of bebop toward a greater emphasis on melody. In Kind of Blue, Miles replaced the complex chord progressions of bebop with extended solos based on scales or modes. Miles, who loved spontaneity--yet another trait Luke would have admired--introduced the five compositions on this record to his band members as they arrived in the studio just prior to recording. While improvisation is common in jazz, what was uncommon at this recording was the virtuosity and level of musical discipline of the band members. Miles had selected musicians who were consummate masters of their instruments: John Coltrane on tenor saxophone; Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on alto saxophone; Bill Evans on piano; Paul Chambers on base; Jimmy Cobb on drums; and, of course, Miles Davis on trumpet.

The reason I was surprised that Luke was listening to Kind of Blue is that in the past Luke has expressed more interest in dance music and electric blues. Although a great deal of jazz music is based on blues, by comparison to blues, jazz is more complicated and more demanding of its listeners. Kind of Blue, in particular, is a recording that calls for a substantial level of engagement from the listener. It's not background music, and it doesn't have an easy backbeat or a catchy groove. While it's soulful and melancholy, it's also intellectual and disciplined and controlled.

On further thought, I realized that it's perhaps not so surprising that Luke would like an intellectual work such as Kind of Blue. Although Luke would never be described as a conventional scholar, he does value intellectual life. He has described himself to Stefan as a "student of philosophy." He has told Felicia that, despite false rumors, he is indeed an avid reader. In prior articles, I have discussed the influence of European existentialists and American hipsters and Beats on Luke Spencer. One of the things the cafe intellectuals in Paris had in common with the Beats in New York and San Francisco was an inordinate love for jazz. In turn, jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk expressed their solidarity with the French intellectuals by adapting the black berets and horn-rimmed glasses favored by the existentialists. One of my favorite stories that illustrates the connection between jazz musicians and intellectuals is the story of Charlie Parker meeting Jean Paul Sartre in Paris. When Sartre had complimented Parker on his playing, Parker is said to have responded: "I'm very glad to have met you. I like your playing very much."

Whenever I write about Luke Spencer I wonder how much of what I write applies really to Tony Geary. Geary is widely known as an actor in full creative partnership with the writers and producers of General Hospital. He is said to write and ad-lib many of his lines on the show. It's entirely possible that the references to Miles Davis reflect Geary's appreciation of Miles. Thinking along those lines, I was intrigued by the proximity of Miles Davis's birthday on May 26 (in 1926), to Geary's birthday on May 29 (in 1947). I recall reading about Geary's interest in astrology and his agreement that he behaves much like a Gemini. It's also interesting that both Genie Francis (who shares Miles's birthday on May 26) and Tristan Rogers are Geminis.

Although I have watched the video Miles Davis and Quincy Jones Live at Montreux many times in the past, I decided to re-watch it while writing this article. I was struck by a couple of comments about Miles that may well have been said about Geary. Quincy Jones describes Miles: "When he walked in the door it was like Dr. Magic walked into the room. And it lit up--even in the dark it lit up. Because it was Miles. And there was something just special about him that nobody could explain." There is a similar compelling quality about Geary that makes it impossible for the viewer to not notice Geary or his Luke Spencer. Consider the following description of Geary in an article by Vernon Scott (Soap Opera News, 3 June 1997):

"Geary, wearing a black shirt, trousers and jacket, strolls into the Polo Lounge of the Beverly Hills Hotel for lunch, commanding the attention of other diners. Not necessarily because they recognize him. Rather it's his carriage and demeanor."

"Not to say he strides into the restaurant expecting to be lionized while making a Hollywood-style entrance. To the contrary, it's a graceful, masculine approach to his table without a glance at anyone. Indeed, he may not have been recognized at all with his new, short-cropped sandy hair, and he appears taller than he does on TV."

In the same Davis/Jones video, Herbie Hancock discusses Miles's working relationship with other musicians: "Miles is such an incredible team worker. He listens to what everybody does and he uses that when he plays and makes what everybody does sound better." Many viewers have observed how other actors' performances improve remarkably when they're playing opposite Geary. And many General Hospital actors mention the opportunity to work with Geary as one of the perks of their jobs.

It's entirely possible that when I describe Luke Spencer and Miles Davis as kindred spirits, I'm really describing a connection between Tony Geary and Miles Davis. If Geary is the source of the references to Miles, it's to his credit that he has selected in Miles an icon perfectly suitable to Luke Spencer. And while it's physically and metaphysically impossible for Miles Davis and Luke Spencer to meet, it's fun to imagine that Miles Davis and Tony Geary met one day, greeted one another and said "I like your playing very much."

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