Miles Davis

1. Miles Davis A Biography By James Bauman #1

2. Background • Miles Davis was born in Alton, Illinois in May 26, 1926. • He grew up in East St. Louis, Missouri. • He took up trumpeting at the age of 13. Two years later, he started playing professionally.

3. Early Career • Miles Davis moved to New York in September 1944. He went there not only to enter the Institute of Musical Art but also to locate his idol, Charlie Parker. • He joined his idol in live appearances and recording sessions, and at the same time joining big bands and touring with different groups.

4. Rise to stardom • In 1948, Miles began to lead his own bop groups. • He also participated in an experimental workshop centered on the arranger Gil Evans. • His collaborations with Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis and Johnny Carisi culminated in a series of recordings under Davis’ name. • Although he continued to record with famous bop musicians, he worked in clubs and with inferior accompanists infrequently.

5. The glory days • In the May of 1957, Miles recorded several remarkable solo recordings and established several quintets including several different famous jazz musicians. • Though these groups weren’t entirely faithful to Davis, they lasted significantly longer than the earlier groups Miles had created. • The fame of Miles’s sidemen increased his social status among jazz musicians.

6. Later years • Car accidents, pneumonia and other serious ailments forced Miles to retire. • However, he restarted his career in the early 1980’s with new young band members such as Branford Marsalis, Bob Berg, John Scofield and Bobby Irving III. • Described as a “living legend” in the world of jazz, Miles was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music in 1986.

7. Resources • http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/