Miles Davis
Jazz, Bebop, Jazz Fusion |
Miles Davis (1926 - 1991) is, and was, the greatest innovator in jazz. Before him came Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington,
and a few others of note, but, though they started it, none of them made an impact on jazz such as Miles did.
Beginning under the wing of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, Miles felt he needed to branch off on his own and discover his
own style, rather than tocontinue trying to unsuccessflly imitate Dizzy's loud, well, dizzy bebop style. He accomplished this on
his first album, "The Birth of the Cool," which had anine-piece ensemble under the coleadersh ...read more
Miles Davis (1926 - 1991) is, and was, the greatest innovator in jazz. Before him came Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington,
and a few others of note, but, though they started it, none of them made an impact on jazz such as Miles did.
Beginning under the wing of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, Miles felt he needed to branch off on his own and discover his
own style, rather than tocontinue trying to unsuccessflly imitate Dizzy's loud, well, dizzy bebop style. He accomplished this on
his first album, "The Birth of the Cool," which had anine-piece ensemble under the coleadership of master jazz orchestrator
Gil Evans. This is the album that invented cool jazz, a stuyle which was far moresubdued than bebop, yet left lots of room for
improvisation.
Miles would continue to find new venues for improv throughout his career, particularly in his next noteworthy phase,
pioneering the field in modal jazz;which his most famous album, and what is called the most influential jazz album in history
by most critics, and by Quincy Jones as, "My breakfast;" je'deat it everyday, first thing. This of course, was "Kind of
Blue,"which he recorded with his first famous quintet, which included legendary saxophonist JohnColtrane.
The same year, he would collaborate with Gil Evans again, releasing "Sketches of Spain," a beautiful piece detailing the
fellings and culture of the country insoundscapes and Miles' own lamentful trumpet-voice.
He woulcontinue to helm the entire realm of jazz in the sixties, first with his second great quintet, (see "Miles Smiles"), and
later, inventing yet anothergenre of jazz called fusion, in which he blended rock elements into his recordings. He felt jazz was
dying, and after seeing acts like the Jimi HendrixExperience, the Greatful Dead, and Sly and the Family Stone, decided this
was the way to go, with landmark albums like "Bitches Brew," and "In A SilentWay." Various groups such as Weather Report,
the Mahavishnu Orchestra, one under the leadership of drummer Tony Williams would emerge from thesecond quintet and
various fusion groups.
Having only one five year hiatus (1975-80)in which he fought a horrendous cocaine addiction, (he'd already kicked heroin in
the fifties) he staged hiscomeback in 1981, and played until his death in 1991, though his eighties material and groupsleave a
lot to be deisired.
Jazz took a terrible blow with his death, and has been on the decline ever since, seeming to lack leaders and direction. « hide |
