King of Jazz Music: Miles Davis

A look at the life and work of Miles Davis, one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the 20th century.

Introduction

Though his career spanned more than four decades, trumpeter, bandleader and composer Miles Davis was always looking ahead, always aiming to break new ground. He helped change the course of music several times during his lifetime, with his work on bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz and jazz fusion. A major figure in 20th century music, he was also a bandleader of historic consequence and the rare musician who was equally influential as a player and a composer.

Early Life and Career

Miles Dewey Davis III was born on May 26, 1926, in Alton, Illinois. The son of an amateur musician, he began playing the trumpet at age 13. After high school he moved to New York City to study at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1944 he dropped out of school and began performing with various big bands, including those of Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker. He made his first recordings as a leader in 1945–48; these sessions yielded his first hitrecord, “Now’s the Time,” in 1947.

Miles Davis and Bebop

Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois, to an affluent African American family. His father, Miles Dewey Davis II, was a dentist, and his mother, Cleota Mae (Henry) Davis, was a music teacher. As a child Davis lived in East St. Louis and attended school there until he was 13 years old. He then transferred to a private school in Kirkwood, Missouri. At the age of 15 he began attending Saint Louis Conservatory of Music where he studied classical trumpet.

In 1944, at the age of 18, Davis moved to New York City to pursue a career in jazz music. He quickly became involved with the bebop scene and played with such artists as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Bebop was a style of jazz that developed in the early 1940s and is characterized by fast tempos, complex harmonic structures, and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody.

Davis made his first recordings as a leader in 1945 and continued to be very active in the recording studio throughout his career. He also appeared as a sideman on many recordings by other artists including Parker, Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, McCoy Tyner and many others.

In the late 1940s Davis began experimenting with cool jazz which is characterized by relaxed tempos and lighter textures. In 1959 he recorded Kind of Blue which is considered one of the most influential jazz albums of all time. It features the now-standard “So What” which has become one of the most recognizable tunes in all of jazz.

During the 1960s Davis became increasingly involved with rock music and experimented with electric instruments on such albums as In a Silent Way (1969) and Bitches Brew (1970). These albums are credited with being among the first examples of jazz-rock fusion

The Birth of Cool

trumpet player Miles Davis was a highly influential figure in the development of jazz music. He was born on May 26, 1926, in Alton, Illinois, and raised in East St. Louis. His father, an accomplished violinist, introduced him to music at an early age. Davis began playing the trumpet when he was 12 years old and within a few years was good enough to perform with some of the leading musicians in St. Louis. After high school, he moved to New York City to study at the Juilliard School of Music.

Miles Davis and Modal Jazz

Miles Davis was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music. Davis adopted a variety of musical styles throughout his career that encompassed post-bop, hard bop, cool jazz, modal jazz, and fusion.

Born and raised in Illinois, Davis left his studies at the Juilliard School in New York City to pursue a musical career. He quickly gained prominence as a member of saxophonist Charlie Parker’s bebop quintet from 1944 to 1948. After recording a number of albums with Parker, he began leading his own groups—the Miles Davis Quintet and Sextet—and achieved widespread critical acclaim with them. In 1955, he recorded one of his best-known compositions, “So What”, which was originally part of the soundtrack for La Malagueña, an Argentine film.

Modal jazz is a jazz standard that was created by Miles Davis on his album Kind of Blue. The record is considered one of the most influential in all of jazz music. Modal jazz features improvisation over modal scales rather than chords.

Miles Davis and Fusion

Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois. He was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music. Davis played on various styles of jazz including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and fusion. His 1959 LP Kind of Blue is one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. Miles Davis died on September 28, 1991 at the age of 65 in Santa Monica, California.

Fusion is a style of jazz that developed in the late 1960s when musicians began mixing elements of rock music with their own Jazz sensibilities. Theornell Robinson described Fusion as “the kind of music that makes you wanna tap your foot and take a drink.” Miles Davis was one of the first and most important Jazz Fusion artists. His 1970 album Bitches Brew is considered a watershed moment in the genre.

The Legacy of Miles Davis

As one of the most influential and well-known figures in jazz history, Miles Davis had a profound impact on the development of the genre. His distinctive style combined elements of both bebop and cool jazz, and his use of improvisation, extended harmonic structures, and innovative recording techniques helped to redefine what was possible in jazz music.

Davis was born in 1926 in Alton, Illinois, and began playing trumpet at an early age. He quickly developed a mastery of the instrument, and by the age of 18 he was already performing with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He made his first recordings as a leader in 1947, and over the next few years he continued to hone his craft, releasing a series of critically acclaimed albums that showcased his ever-evolving style.

In the 1950s, Davis began to experiment with using different kinds of instruments in his recordings, and he also started to incorporate elements of other genres like blues and rock into his music. This period saw him release some of his most iconic albums, including “Kind of Blue” (1959) and “Bitches Brew” (1970).

Davis continued to evolve as a musician until his death in 1991, and his influence can still be heard in the work of many modern jazz musicians. He remains one of the genre’s most respected and revered figures, and his legacy will continue to inspire new generations of musicians for years to come.

Quotes by Miles Davis

“There’s no other way to play it, man. You either want to play this music or you don’t. In order to play it, you have to feel it.”

“When you hit a wrong note it’s the next note that makes it good or bad.”

“Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.”

“I have to picture myself in my mind as I want to be, doing what I want to do, until eventually I will become that person.”

“You have to fall in love with the process of becoming great.”

“I’ll always be sorry I wasn’t kinder to the people who cared for me and tried to help me when I couldn’t help myself.”

Recommended Listening

Miles Davis was an innovator in the world of jazz music. He is best known for his work in the bebop and cool jazz genres, but he also dabbled in hard bop, modal jazz, and fusion. Throughout his career, Davis maintained a high level of quality in his music, making him one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time.

If you’re new to Miles Davis, here are four albums that are essential listening:

-Birth of the Cool (1957): This album is a good introduction to Davis’ cool jazz sound. It features some of his most famous tracks, such as “So What” and “Blue in Green.”

-Kind of Blue (1959): Undoubtedly Davis’ most famous album, Kind of Blue is a must-listen for any fan of jazz music. It’s considered one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, and its influence can be heard in everything from hard bop to fusion.

-In a Silent Way (1969): This album marked Davis’ transition into modal jazz and helped pave the way for his later work in fusion. It’s a bit more experimental than his earlier albums, but it’s still accessible and enjoyable for newcomers.

-Bitches Brew (1970): One of Davis’ most experimental albums, Bitches Brew is often cited as one of the first examples of fusion jazz. It’s a bit dense and challenging at times, but it’s ultimately rewarding for those who stick with it.

Further Reading

Miles Davis was one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. He was a master of improvisation and helped to pioneer the bebop, cool jazz, and hard bop styles of jazz. In addition to his work as a musician, Davis was also a talented composer and bandleader. He released dozens of albums during his career, many of which are considered classics.

If you would like to learn more about Miles Davis, we recommend checking out some of the following resources:

-The Miles Davis Reader, edited by Paul Devlin
-Miles: The Autobiography, by Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe
-Miles: The Illustrated Story, by George Cole
-Jazz Masters of the Fifties, by . . .