Home » Jazz Musicians » Miles Davis

Miles Davis

Miles Davis is an NEA Jazz Master

Throughout a professional career lasting 50 years, Miles Davisplayed the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective, and melodicstyle, often employing a stemless harmon mute to make hissound more personal and intimate. But if his approach to hisinstrument was constant, his approach to jazz was dazzlinglyprotean. To examine his career is to examine the history ofjazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s, since he was in thethick of almost every important innovation and stylisticdevelopment in the music during that period, and he often ledthe way in those changes, both with his own performancesand recordings and by choosing sidemen and collaboratorswho forged the new directions. It can even be argued that jazzstopped evolving when Davis wasn't there to push it forward.

Davis was the son of a dental surgeon, Dr. Miles DeweyDavis, Jr., and a music teacher, Cleota Mae (Henry) Davis,and thus grew up in the black middle class of East St. Louisafter the family moved there shortly after his birth. He becameinterested in music during his childhood and by the age of 12had begun taking trumpet lessons. While still in high school,he started to get jobs playing in local bars and at 16 wasplaying gigs out of town on weekends. At 17, he joined EddieRandle's Blue Devils, a territory band based in St. Louis. Heenjoyed a personal apotheosis in 1944, just after graduatingfrom high school, when he saw and was allowed to sit in withBilly Eckstine's big band, which was playing in St. Louis. Theband featured trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonistCharlie Parker, the architects of the emerging bebop style ofjazz, which was characterized by fast, inventive soloing anddynamic rhythm variations.

It is striking that Davis fell so completely under Gillespie andParker's spell, since his own slower and less flashy stylenever really compared with theirs. But bebop was the newsound of the day, and the young trumpeter was bound tofollow it. He did so by leaving the Midwest to attend theInstitute of Musical Art in New York City (since renamedJuilliard) in September 1944. Shortly after his arrival inManhattan, he was playing in clubs with Parker, and by 1945he had abandoned his academic studies for a full-time careeras a jazz musician, initially joining Benny Carter's band andmaking his first recordings as a sideman. He played withEckstine in 1946-1947 and was a member of Parker's group in1947-1948, making his recording debut as a leader on a 1947session that featured Parker, pianist John Lewis, bassistNelson Boyd, and drummer Max Roach. This was an isolateddate, however, and Davis spent most of his time playing andrecording behind Parker. But in the summer of 1948 heorganized a nine-piece band with an unusual horn section. Inaddition to himself, it featured an alto saxophone, a baritonesaxophone, a trombone, a French horn, and a tuba. Thisnonet, employing arrangements by Gil Evans and others,played for two weeks at the Royal Roost in New York inSeptember. Earning a contract with Capitol Records, the bandwent into the studio in January 1949 for the first of threesessions which produced 12 tracks that attracted littleattention at first. The band's relaxed sound, however, affectedthe musicians who played it, among them Kai Winding, LeeKonitz, Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis, J.J. Johnson, and KennyClarke, and it had a profound influence on the development ofthe cool jazz style on the West Coast. In February 1957,Capitol finally issued the tracks together on an LP calledBirth of the Cool.

Read more

Tags

5
Radio & Podcasts

Jazz Before the Oscars: Part 1

Read "Jazz Before the Oscars: Part 1" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


In a few days the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood will host the Academy Awards, and so we thought that it would be a lot of fun to come up with an episode of Mondo Jazz featuring exclusively tunes inspired by, dedicated to, or titled after movie stars (regardless of whether or not they have won any Oscar awards).Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 The Stance Brothers “Steve McQueen" ...

22
Album Review

Miles Davis Quintet: In Concert At The Olympia, Paris 1957

Read "In Concert At The Olympia, Paris 1957" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Another live Miles Davis recording. Well, once the studio outtakes have dried up, this is the only seam left to mine. Happily, with advances in sound technology, old radio broadcasts are increasingly being dusted down and treated to a little digital TLC. Since 1983, Fresh Sounds Records has been a leading light in reissues and archival releases (see Fresh Sound Records and the Legacy of Recorded Jazz), in addition to producing many hundreds of contemporary artists. This one from Jordi ...

40
What is Jazz?

Tokyo Jazz Joints: Capturing An Old Love Story

Read "Tokyo Jazz Joints: Capturing An Old Love Story" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Could you imagine coffee shops in any North American or European city that played jazz non-stop all day, or bars where, variously, as you quenched your thirst, you heard only Blue Note Records, free-jazz or the music of, say, Miles Davis, according to the bar owner's tastes? Could you imagine such places where speaking is not only frowned upon but is actually banned in reverence to the music? Probably not, on both counts. In Japan, and especially in ...

19
Album Review

Miles Davis: 2nd Session 1956 Revisited

Read "2nd Session 1956 Revisited" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


The Miles Davis Quintet's 2nd Session 1956 Revisited revitalizes the iconic recordings from a pivotal year in jazz history. These original sessions, featuring Davis alongside luminaries like John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, stand as timeless classics that have indelibly shaped the course of jazz.This revisited edition captures the very essence and vitality of those legendary sessions while infusing them with a fresh perspective. The music's hallmark traits--the melodic sophistication and improvisational brilliance--are expertly ...

25
Reassessing

The Electric Years Box Set

Read "The Electric Years Box Set" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


In a year that has brought us a true bounty of previously unheard majesty including Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Impulse!), and Bill Evans; Treasures: Solo, Trio & Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969), (Elemental Music) it is only fitting that Miles Davis get his due. And in a very, very big way. Seared into modern memory, modern art, the music presented on the gloriously massive, eleven LP set Miles Davis: The Electric Years ...

30
Book Review

Miles Davis And The Search for the Sound

Read "Miles Davis And The Search for the Sound" reviewed by Doug Collette


Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound (graphic novel) Dave Chisholm 150 Pages ISBN: #9798886560428 Z2 Comics2023 Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound could not be a more appropriate title for Dave Chisholm's altogether riveting graphic novel devoted to “The Man With The Horn." The latter spent the better part of his career literally and figuratively hunting for novel forms of music that would challenge both himself and the musicians ...

7
Radio & Podcasts

'70s Jazz Rock Fusion, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis and Tony Williams Lifetime

Read "'70s Jazz Rock Fusion, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis and Tony Williams Lifetime" reviewed by Len Davis


A nostalgic trip to the '70s with music from Miles Davis, Weather Report, Jean-Luc Ponty and Herbie Hancock. Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tony Williams Lifetime and Return To Forever.Playlist Miles Davis “Willie Nelson/The Theme “ from Miles Davis at Filmore East (Columbia) 00:00 Weather Report “Palladium" from Heavy Weather (CBS) 06:13 Jean-Luc-Ponty “Struggle Of The Turtle To The Sea-Pt3" from Enigmatic Ocean (Atlantic) 12:39 Herbie Hancock “Spank-A Lee “ from Thrust (Sony) 18:54 Stanley ...

Read more articles
1

Recording

Legendary Miles Davis’ Saxophonist Sam Morrison 'Whatever: Anthology 1' Now Available On Blue Buddha Productions

Legendary Miles Davis’ Saxophonist Sam Morrison 'Whatever: Anthology 1' Now Available On Blue Buddha Productions

Source: Glass Onyon PR - William James

Sam Morrison is a multifaceted musician known for his mastery of the soprano and tenor saxophones, as well as his artistry on the alto and bass flutes. With a career that spans several decades, he has left an indelible mark on the world of jazz, collaborating with legendary artists and contributing to iconic recordings. One of the standout moments in Sam’s career was his membership in the esteemed Miles Davis Band. His performance alongside Miles Davis at the 1975 Newport ...

1

Event

'Listen To This' Exploring The Early Electric Period Of Miles Davis

'Listen To This' Exploring The Early Electric Period Of Miles Davis

Source: Mary Curtin Productions

For the past year, improvising keyboardist Dave Bryant, curator and host of the “Third Thursdays" series of monthly harmolodic jazz concerts, has also been involved with the “Listen To This" musical project, which explores the rich musical legacy of Miles Davis, particularly from his early electric period 1968-1975. The project includes founder Jerome Deupree of Morphine and Either/Orchestra (drums), Russ Gershon of Either/Orchestra (woodwinds, organ), Rick Barry of Bim Skala Bim and Lookie Lookie (percussion), Todd Brunel of Know Orchestra ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Miles Davis

Jazz Musician of the Day: Miles Davis

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Miles Davis' birthday today!

Throughout a professional career lasting 50 years, Miles Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective, and melodic style, often employing a stemless harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. But if his approach to his instrument was constant, his approach to jazz was dazzlingly protean. To examine his career is to examine the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s, since he was in ...

TV / Film

Miles Davis: Two Docs Called 'Round Miles'

Miles Davis: Two Docs Called 'Round Miles'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers


2

Recording

August 1969: Rock, Jazz and Women

August 1969: Rock, Jazz and Women

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

August 1969 marked a dramatic turning point in the evolution of two forms of popular music—rock and jazz. In both cases, women came up short. The first transition took place In Bethel, N.Y., between August 15 and 18. There, four co-promoters of a four-day music festival known as Woodstock proved that rock and the rock concert were a much bigger deal than previously thought. With an estimated 400,000 people stretched out on hilly pastures running to the horizon, the audience's ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Miles Davis

Jazz Musician of the Day: Miles Davis

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Miles Davis' birthday today!

Throughout a professional career lasting 50 years, Miles Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective, and melodic style, often employing a stemless harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. But if his approach to his instrument was constant, his approach to jazz was dazzlingly protean. To examine his career is to examine the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s, since he was in ...

Video / DVD

Miles Davis: Will You Still Be Mine?

Miles Davis: Will You Still Be Mine?

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Written by Matt Dennis and Tom Adair, Will You Still Be Mine? was first recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra in February 1941, with an arrangement by Axel Stordahl and a vocal refrain by Connie Haines. There were roughly seven version between Dorsey and Miles Davis in 1955. Davis's rendition appeared on Musings of Miles and featured Davis (tp), Red Garland (p), Oscar Pettiford (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d). “Will You Still Be Mine?" is one of those ...

Video / DVD

Miles Davis in Milan in Color, 1964

Miles Davis in Milan in Color, 1964

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

This clip will likely be familiar to you, but chances are you saw it in black and white. A couple of weeks ago, the footage was uploaded colorized. The concert featured the Miles Davis Quintet at the Teatro dell'Arte in Milan, Italy, on October 11th, 1964. When I saw it, thanks to Gilles D'Elia in Paris, a funny thing happened. The music became more interesting and gripping. Mind you, I tend to despise colorized films, but a clip of historic ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Miles Davis

Jazz Musician of the Day: Miles Davis

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Miles Davis' birthday today!

Throughout a professional career lasting 50 years, Miles Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective, and melodic style, often employing a stemless harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. But if his approach to his instrument was constant, his approach to jazz was dazzlingly protean. To examine his career is to examine the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s, since he was in ...

Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The "lost" ensembles of Miles Davis

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The "lost" ensembles of Miles Davis

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's take a look at some history related to the most important jazz musician to come from the St. Louis area, Miles Davis. As a bandleader, Davis had many celebrated groups over the years, such as the “Birth of the Cool" nonet; the six-piece ensemble that recorded Kind of Blue; the first “great quartet" of the 1950s featuring John Coltrane; and its successor in the 1960s with Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. All of ...

B.D. Lenz
guitar
Brian Swartz
trumpet
Christopher Burnett
saxophone, alto
Dom Minasi
guitar
Terry Gordon
trumpet
Vicki Burns
vocals
Max Perkoff
trombone
Bill Gati
saxophone
Russ Nolan
saxophone, tenor
Chris Abelen
trombone
Lynda Murray
saxophone, alto
Joey DeFrancesco
organ, Hammond B3
Orhan Demir
guitar
Ian Dogole
percussion
Tim Hagans
trumpet
Saskia Laroo
trumpet
Dmitri Matheny
flugelhorn
Lyle Mays
keyboards
Jackie McLean
saxophone, alto
Pat Metheny
guitar
Doug Munro
guitar
Bruno Raberg
bass, acoustic
Francis Wong
saxophone, tenor
Sam Allen
drums
Glenn Zottola
saxophone, tenor
Tedd Baker
saxophone, tenor
Matthieu Marthouret
organ, Hammond B3
Hans Tammen
guitar
Bruce Harris
trumpet
Jeff Perry
guitar
Todd Mosby
guitar
Reggie Watkins
trombone
Aaron Liddard
saxophone, tenor
Alan Gaumer
trumpet
Jeff Lofton
trumpet
Bill Stevens
trumpet
Lee Barbour
guitar
Jarez
saxophone
David Leikam
multi-instrumentalist
Kestutis Stanciauskas
bass, electric
Matt Finley
flugelhorn
Brownman
trumpet
Michaela Rabitsch
trumpet and vocals
Brad Felt
euphonium
Cold Spring Jazz Quartet
band / ensemble / orchestra
Klaus Lessmann
woodwinds
Martin Jones
trumpet
Ricardo Pinheiro
guitar, electric
Scott Reeves
trombone
Billy Denk
guitar
The Worst Pop Band Ever
band / ensemble / orchestra
Gui Duvignau
bass, acoustic
Michael Blicher
saxophone
Daphna Sadeh
bass, acoustic
Sonic Liberation Front
band / ensemble / orchestra
Kit Watkins
multi-instrumentalist
Dave Howard
guitar, electric
Dave Clark
guitar
Michael Staron
bass, acoustic
Dan Wilensky
saxophone
Jodi Michelle Proznick
bass, acoustic
Ryan Berg
bass, acoustic
Tim Fox
piano
Dmitry Tsepilov
saxophone, alto
Tony Passarell
multi-instrumentalist
Laurent Doumont
saxophone
Perry Thoorsell
bass, acoustic
Brent Bowman
saxophone, alto
Chris Hall
trumpet
Jack Furlong
saxophone, baritone
Timothy Lee Miller
composer / conductor
John DePaola
trumpet
Milo Mannino
trumpet
Matthias Broede
harmonica
SoSaLa
saxophone, tenor
Arthur Sadowsky
bass, electric
Manu Koch
keyboards
Elliot Spero
saxophone, tenor
Myles Brown
guitar
Markus Rutz
trumpet
Fran Vielma
percussion
Bobby Stern
saxophone, tenor
Kit Eakle
violin
Geoff Mason
trombone
Ethan Margolis
guitar and vocals
AmooMazz
bass, electric
Gijs Levelt
trumpet
ctraltu
trumpet
Nicolas Ojeda
bass, acoustic
Gary Kelly
bass, electric
Jorge Garcia
guitar, electric
Kitty Green
multi-instrumentalist
Paula Maya
piano and vocals
Dave Quick
synthesizer
Noshir Mody
guitar
Duo Laroo/Byrd
band / ensemble / orchestra
Phil Wilkinson
organ, Hammond B3
Andrew DeNicola
saxophone, tenor
Marco Moura
guitar
Mike Kapitan
keyboards
Michael Lake
trombone
Gabriel Bey
trumpet
Antero Priha
trumpet
Tom Gershwin
trumpet
LJ Folk
guitar and vocals
Jesse Dietschi
bass, acoustic
Julian Nicholas
saxophone, tenor
Hashima
band / ensemble / orchestra
Benjamin Boone
saxophone
Charleston Jazz Orchestra
band / ensemble / orchestra
Neil Brathwaite
saxophone, tenor
Louie Moon
guitar
Michel Seba
percussion
Ryan Baker
vocals
Ultrafaux
band / ensemble / orchestra
Filippo Bianchini
saxophone, tenor
Karla Bauer
vocals
Andy Bianco
guitar
Sarah James
vocals
Jozef Nadj
violin
James Olsen
composer / conductor
Eric Zolan
guitar, electric
Paul Giess
trumpet
Jim Goetsch
saxophone
Nick Lombardelli
multi-instrumentalist
Dan Waldman
guitar
Filtron M
band / ensemble / orchestra
Dan Jonas
trumpet
Marc Beaudin, poet
poet / spoken word
Tyr Morris
flugelhorn
Phil Dawson
guitar
Sarah LeMieux
guitar and vocals
Jeff Lopez
bass, electric
Elliot Bild
trumpet
Jun Iida
trumpet
Nick Maclean Quartet
band / ensemble / orchestra
Gregg Fine
guitar
Lucia Fodde
vocals
The Next Step Quintet
band / ensemble / orchestra
Mike De Masi
bass, acoustic
Michael Neff
trumpet
Viktor Haraszti
saxophone
David Post
vocals
Matthew Ottignon
saxophone, tenor
John Kalleen
trumpet
Vin Venezia
guitar
José Canha
bass, acoustic
Pete Coco
bass, acoustic
Pagliuca-Mena
band / ensemble / orchestra
The Rookies
arranger
Akos Forgacs
bass, electric
Ella Mar
vocals
Angela on the Arts
band / ensemble / orchestra
LuisGa Núñez
bass, acoustic
Jol Tai
saxophone
Emile Turner
trumpet
Mark R DeJong
saxophone
Eric West
drums
Michael Fox
trumpet
Jazz Interlude
band / ensemble / orchestra
Lex French
trumpet
Illya Gomola
keyboards
Fabrizio Savino
guitar, electric
Mary Amaral
vocals
Denin Koch
guitar, electric
Sunhyun Yoo
saxophone, alto
Mike Schwebke
multi-instrumentalist
Philippe Coignet
guitar, electric
Manuel Muzzu
bass, electric
Stuart Redd
guitar
Paco Reinaldet
saxophone, soprano
Nikos Koulouris
saxophone
Matteo Mosolo
bass, acoustic
Kurt Leege
guitar
Johan Grim
guitar
Dom Angelo Mongiovi
guitar, electric
Noam Shapira
saxophone
Ash Luo
drums
Erik Hempel
bass, acoustic
Andres Hayes
saxophone, tenor
Tibor Debreceni
guitar, electric
Ari Joshua
guitar
The Modern Beat Combo
band / ensemble / orchestra
Unc D
bass, electric
ML Caldwell
keyboards
Hard Bop Messengers
band / ensemble / orchestra
Erkin Kydykbaev
bass, acoustic
Erich Fischer
vibraphone
Ken Krueger
guitar
David Cain
multi-instrumentalist
Jacques Bailhé
keyboards
Voodoo
drums
Pieter Egriega
guitar and vocals
Fil Pate
multi-instrumentalist
David J Perkins
keyboards
Frank Vitolo
saxophone, tenor
Temidayo Balogun
saxophone, tenor
Rohan Buch
saxophone
Lucas Amorim
vibraphone
John Hench
bass, acoustic
Louis Siciliano
synthesizer
Miles
drums
The Beatnik Preachers
band / ensemble / orchestra
Andrew Ginzel
guitar, electric
Emil And The Detectives
band / ensemble / orchestra
Enrico Solazzo
arranger
Diana Torti
vocals
Tombajazz
band / ensemble / orchestra
Tomba
bass
Ron Bosse
guitar
Stephen Enos
trumpet
German Lema
organ, Hammond B3
Zach Rich
trombone
Gerhard Daum
composer / conductor
Bianca Love
trumpet and vocals
The Jazz Kings
band / ensemble / orchestra
Darius Jones Shrek
trumpet and vocals
Jodi Proznick
bass, acoustic
Spencer Alexander
guitar, electric
Alex Madeline
saxophone
Kerilie McDowall
guitar, electric
Logan Conkright
saxophone

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

2nd Session 1956...

Ezz-thetics
2023

buy

That You Not Dare To...

Legacy Recordings
2023

buy

Workin' With the...

Craft Recordings
2023

buy

The Electric Years...

Columbia Records / VMP Anthology
2023

buy

In Concert At The...

Fresh Sound Records
2023

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.