[stephencanon]

All of the players you mention would be remembered as greats with or without Miles Davis. Their playing might have been different, but Miles wouldn't have been Miles without them, either.

Calling Bill Evans a "good piano player" is like calling Feynman a "good physicist".

[surement]

Even though I consider all of these musicians to be greater than Miles Davis, it was Miles Davis who, as a band leader, let these individual members not only play in his band, but also shine by letting each of them solo on pieces instead of just him.