Jazz Players Using Heroin for “creativity”? or Just a Rush?

Question by Reality Man: Jazz players using heroin for “creativity”? Or just a rush?
Miles Davis, John Coltrain, Charlie Parker were addicted to heroin. They are the most famous of many, many heroin users in the music world (not just Jazz). Yet they were devoted musicians who reached incredible heights musically. I’m curious if heroin was just a high they enjoyed, or if they used the drug in order to get into some kind of mental “groove” for the hours and hours of practicing they must have done to become so fluent on their instruments.
Anyone have personal experiences, or stories to tell? Serious only please.
Thanks a lot, guys. BTW, I am in no way a proponent of using drugs. I have no interest drugs, but am intrigued by how many successful musicians manage to carry a drug habit with them most of their career.
I confess that when I was doing a gig in Mexico I used codeine one night while practicing. My band mates all commented on how good I sounded. Still, if that’s what it takes (using drugs, I mean) to ‘make it’ I’d rather languish in the shadow of no fame. At this point in my life, it’s too late to change much anyhow.
Take care of yourselves!

Best answer:

Answer by St Petersburg native
I’m not a heroin user; I am a long time jazz fan and player who has always sought the counsel of older musicians for insight on musical culture as well as playing. I’ve posed to many older musicians the question, “Why did Miles Davis’ late ’50’s group with Coltrane, Bill Evans, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Chambers (not a junkie, but he did virtually drink himself to death before he turned 34) play so brilliantly in spite of the dysfunctions that addiction must have caused”?
The most coherent answer came from a drummer friend of mine who played with Zoot Sims, J.R. Monterose, Ben Webster, and others: he said the reason why they played well trashed is because they practiced, played gigs, and lived under the influence of their drug of choice- in short, their lifestyles were conditioned to the “loaded” state which allowed them to be functional in spite of a scenario which a sober person would regard as dysfunctional.
My ultimate conclusion is that they played well in spite of drug use and would have played brilliantly with or without substance abuse; the last ten years of Coltrane’s recorded output after he kicked the heroin habit is most demonstrative of this point.

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