Miles Davis (1926-1991)

Miles Davis is arguably one of the greatest and most important jazz musicians of all time.  He was known for the hauntingly “blue” sound of his trumpet.

Miles Davis was born in Alton, IL.  In 1928, the family moved to East St. Louis where his father became a successful oral surgeon and his mother a violinist and music teacher.  In 1935, a friend of his father’s gave Miles his first trumpet.  His teacher Elwood Buchanan stressed the importance of playing without vibrato and slapped his knuckles if he did.  He soon joined his high school’s marching band.

Upon graduation in 1944, Miles left Illinois to attend Julliard in New York City.  He left the school after three semesters and entered the jazz scene meeting such famous musicians as Thelonius Monk, Charlie Parker, and Charles Mingus.  He replaced Dizzy Gillespie in saxophonist Charlie Parker’s jazz quintet from 1944-1948.

During Miles Davis’s solo recording career, he changed the direction of jazz several times.  His 1949 album “Birth of the Cool” started the cool-jazz era.  His albums “Milestones” in 1953 and “Kind of Blue” in 1959 marked the beginning of modal jazz.  He recorded the orchestral jazz masterpiece “Porgy and Bess” in 1958.  The first jazz/rock fusion album “Bitches Brew” was recorded in 1969.

After a temporary break in his career due to health reasons in 1975, Miles began a collaboration with producer Marcus Miller recording the electronic-driven albums “Tutu” (1986) and “Amandla” (1989).

Miles Davis was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.  He was awarded 8 Grammy awards and was nominated 32 times.

A memorable quote by Miles Davis was: “A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do.  I’m still doing it.”