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Miles Davis (1926 - 1991)
Arguably the most influential jazz artist following the bebop period, Miles Davis helped
pioneer the jazz styles of cool, model jazz, and jazz/rock fusion as well as being an
accomplished bebop and hard bop player. Miles' individuality showed throughout his entire
recording career showing his complete command of his artistry and control as a
bandleader. Davis was never content with playing the same way all the time and was
continually developing and expanding new ideas and ways of presenting his music as is
evidenced in the linear trend throughout his recording history. Davis grew up in East St. Louis and began playing trumpet when he was 13 years old. While playing locally, Davis met Clark Terry and was introduced to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie when Billy Eckstine's band came to town. In 1945, Davis came to New York to attend Julliard and quickly was playing in bands on 52nd street with Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and others. Before long, Davis decided Julliard's music program was not for him and dropped out prefering the musical lessons he learned playing in clubs along 52nd street. In 1946, Davis travelled to Los Angeles playing with Benny Carter and also played on some of Charlie Parker's early Dial recordings. In L.A., Davis joined Billy Eckstine's band with whom he played with for about five months in 1946-47 and which whom eventually brought him back to New York. Back in New York Davis recorded with Illinois Jacquet. Late 1947 had Davis recording again with Charile Parker;s group for Savoy and Dial and also with Bird under Miles own name as the Miles Davis All Stars (his first recording as a leader) for Savoy. During 1948 Miles played primarily in Parker's groups then in 1949 cut the first of the sessions that would become the Birth of the Cool album (the remaining sessions were cut in 1950). Davis also lead this nine piece group for a number of weeks at the Royal Roost which yielded some radio broadcasts which were recorded. These recordings were Davis' first collaborative contact with Gil Evans with whom Miles developed a long and prosperous working relationship with. The Birth of the Cool session included Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, John Lewis, Max Roach, Kai Winding, and J.J. Johnson among others and is often credited to have been the primary influence of the cool style of jazz, though many other influences actually helped to define the cool style. It was during this time that Davis began to alter his playing style to the more relaxed, subtle sound played primarily in the middle register which became his trademark sound throughout much of his mid '50's-mid '60's recordings. Davis began recording in 1951 under the Prestige label doing three sessions with Sonny Rollins, Zoot Sims, Jackie McLean, among others which yielded the albums And Horns and Conception. 1952 marked a low point for Davis' recording career doing only a couple recording sessoins for Blue Note as Davis struggled to fight off the drug addiction which had plaugued him since the late '40's. Eventually kicking the habit, Davis returned strong recording a number of albums from 1953-55 for Prestige which included Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Mily Jackson, Horace Silver, Charles Mingus, and more on such albums as Bags Groove, Walkin', Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, Oleo, and Dig to name a few. Late 1955 has Davis debuting his new quintet which featured John Coltrane on tenor, with whom Miles would make some of his greatest recordings. 1955 also had MIles switching to the Columbia label with whom he would remain throughout the remainder of his recording career. Although now with Columbia, Davis was still under obligation to Prestige for a number of albums which he cut with his new quintet in two marathon recording sessions in 1956 that yielded the classic Prestige albums Workin', Steamin', Cookin', and Relaxin'. Davis' first Columbia album Round Midnight became a classic and proved a forerunner of what was to come. In 1957, Davis toured most of the year, replacing Coltrane with Sonny Rollins. During '57 Davis also recorded his second collaboration with Gil Evans, Miles Ahead(though it was not released until 1962). In 1958 Davis rehired Coltrane back and from 1958-1961 recorded both as a quintet with Coltrane and as a sextet with Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley(he also played on Adderley's Something Else). During this period the classic Miles albums Milestones and Kind of Blue were recorded as well as two more Gil Evans collaborations, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain as well as a number of live recordings including Miles and Coltrane and Jazz at the Plaza. During the period Miles started to develop his modal style of playing which culminated in the album Kind of Blue, a prime example of jazz improvisation at its best. Davis came into the studio with literally sketches, outlines, of what he wanted and what came out of the recording studio was pure magic, pure spontinaity. Coltrane eventually left Davis in 1961 to pursue his own musical desires and Davis replaced him with first Sonny Stitt and finally with Hank Mobley (Coltrane and Mobley are both present on the '61 recording of Someday My Prince Will Come) with whom he recorded a number of live albums, In Person:Live at the Blackhawk and the live Carnagie Hall recordings. From 1963-64 Davis recorded again with Gil Evans, Quiet Nights, and in a number of various settings including a few live recordings. It was at this time that the Davis quintet structure changed again. Davis brought in Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, and Ron Carter which would remain his steady rhythm section through the remainder of the '60's. These younger musicians were interested in a freer playing style and drove Davis into new directions for his creativity. In 1965 Wayne Shorter joined the quintet which sealed the sound desired by Davis and drove the group to new frontiers. This began Davis' movement toward the jazz/rock fusion style and this group was its forerunner. |
