Miles Davis: I’ll play it first and tell you what it is later.”
Introduction
Miles Dave’s was an influential American composer, who not only made music but played it himself. He was a trumpeter, and a bandleader, who helped create/ develop the jazz genre as a whole ! In the entirety of his career Davis was able to create the basis for a new genre of jazz, receive major awards, and also just simply make great music. and also just simply make great music.
Early Days
Miles Davis was born in 1926 in the state of Illinois, in a city called Alton.
Davis began his musical career at the age of 13 years old when he first picked up a trumpet. His parents were apart of the middle class, which provided him the opportunity to receive lessons.
As years went on Davis contained to grow his love for the trumpet, music, and jazz in general. His first official job was playing in St. Louis in a band called the “ Eddie Randal band.”
It was after that experience when Davis wanted to truly immerse himself in the music world.
In 1944 Davis moved all there way to New York City, and went to attend Juilliard School of music, to learn mire about the world of music. Although he attended Juilliard, his attendance was severely lacking to be called a full time student. Instead of attending classes he was due to him spending time working gigs with people such a Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie, and Benny Carter: Here is an example of Carter’s and Davis’s work together:
The Style
At 19 years old in the 1945 Davis was able to land a record deal with capital
Records. With this deal he was able to work to create a new type of sound, a mix of baritone saxophone, tuba, and French horn. This sound was translated into the classic jazz song called. “The Birth of the Cool. ”
The birth of cool was then noted to be the first sign of the “cool jazz”. A category of jazz that would be played by not only Miles Davis but artists such as Bud Johnson, John Coltrane, Thelonious Munk, and many more!
Accomplishments
Davis is not only credited with creating one of the best Jazz albums, ever to be produced, called – kind of blues. But Davis was to sell not one but over two million copies of this album. In 1986 Davis received a Grammy, trying to reinvent himself. With the help of synthesizers, mixing of drum loops, and usingdifferent samples , he was able to create a new type of music for himself on his album “Tutu. ” Last but certainly not least Davis was presented with Lifetime achievement Grammy award in the year 1990.
Some more of Davis’s work :
Sources:
https://www.biography.com/musician/miles-davis
https://aaregistry.org/story/miles-davis-innovative-influential-and-respected-jazz-legend/
https://www.npr.org/2007/07/03/10818946/miles-davis-miles-styles
https://jazzfuel.com/best-cool-jazz-albums-artists/
