Guide Note

Miles Davis is arguably the most well-known and influential figure in the history of Jazz, having been at the forefront of almost every musical innovation of the past half century. From his emergence on the Bebop music scene in the mid-1940's, through his Fusion and Rock experiments of the late 1970's, he remained a well-respected musician and fiercely original artist.

Background

Born in 1926 to a middle-class family in Illinois, Davis began studying the trumpet at the age of 13 and started to play professionally only a few years later. Miles left for New York City in 1944 to attend the Juilliard School of music. During that time, Davis met and began playing informally with Jazz Saxophone great Charlie Parker.

Birth of the Cool

After playing with Gerry Mulligan and arranger Gil Evans, Davis released his landmark 1957 album Birth of the Cool - which featured a number of innovative Bebop arrangements. After a brief tour of Europe and a performance at the Paris Jazz Festival, Davis returned to the states and led and recorded a few different small groups for the Blue Note label. During that period, Davis worked with some of the top names in the Jazz and BeBop scene, including Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins.

Kind of Blue

After recording a slew of critically acclaimed albums between 1957 and 1959, Davis teamed up with pianist Bill Evans to record the seminal album Kind of Blue. The album also featured excellent work by the up and coming Saxophonist John Coltrane. Not only was the album a commercial success (selling over 3 million copies to become the best-selling Jazz record of all time), it was also a critical success and is generally considered to be one of the most important and influential albums in Jazz history.

Fusion Period

In the late 1960s and early 70s, Davis began to incorporate the influences of Rock and Funk musicians (such as Jimi Hendrix, James Brown and Sly Stone) into his music. Using a cast of more Rock-oriented musicians (including John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul and Herbie Hancock), Davis recorded a number of "Jazz Fusion" records - including the 1970 classic Bitches Brew.

Fast Facts

1. Name: Miles Dewey Davis III
2. Born: May 26, 1926
3. Died: September 28, 1991
4. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: March 13, 2006
5. Grammy Awards: 9