Question: Watching films of Miles Davis performing in the 50's and 60's I noticed that whenever his solo was done he would take his index finger and press it beneath his right ear. Sometimes he would also shake his head as if it were painful to do so. I'm not sure if he did this later in his career or not. He acted very differently on stage in the 70's and later.

Is the pressure from blowing the horn forcing air into someplace it shouldn't? Why only his right ear? Is this common among trumpet players?

Here are a few stills of him doing this:

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VEcSMm.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VEcSMm.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/syMChm.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/syMChm.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/POFuAm.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/POFuAm.jpg)

Answer: 
The best I found via lmgtfy was these:

From [reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Jazz/comments/2kqxly/miles_davis_plugging_his_ears_during_a_lester/?st=itved15t&sh=8636e34b)

> 
> I always heard Miles would cover his ears to hear the other soloist
>  better.
> 
> 
> 

OTOH, an [interview](http://hepcat1950.com/mdiv_sy.html) side note suggests it's purely a habit:

> 
> "Had to drink some water 'cause I get dehydrated," Miles explained.
>  "Loretta knows. Sometimes I'll say, 'Loretta, something's funny about
>  me. What is it?' And she'll look at me and say, 'Fix your hair. It's
>  sticking out over there.'"
> 
> 
> Miles touches his hair behind the right ear.
> 
> 
> "You know, Sy, chicks just know about you. Cicely [Tyson] knows when I
>  don't feel good, and she'll call me up and say, 'What's the matter,
>  Miles?'"
> 
> 
> 

As does [this review](http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/13/arts/miles-davis-the-chameleon-of-cool-a-jazz-genius-in-the-guise-of-a-hustler.html?_r=0):

> 
> Every gesture seems choreographed but effortless, the way he
>  nonchalantly walks onstage, rubs just behind his ear, puts his
>  impeccably manicured fingers to his lips just before bringing the horn
>  to his mouth.
> 
> 
>
I would suspect that he had temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction and pain below the ear. It’s only a guess, but common to press or rub the muscles around that joint where the lower jaw (mandible) articulates with upper jaw.