Davis Miles is an American representative of the jazz music industry. He is known as a trumpeter, composer, a unique improviser. His work had a huge impact on the development of music of the twentieth century and covers several periods of jazz development - from bebop (1940) to modern experimental directions. In modal jazz, cool jazz and fusion, he stood at the origins, so the contribution of the musician to the development of this music is huge.
A family
Davis Miles was born on May 26, 1926 in the city of Alton (Illinois). His family was well-off, since his grandfather was a large landowner and made sure that she did not need. My father was a very educated person and worked as a dentist. However, the African-American origin did not allow either grandfather or father to take a position in society in accordance with their material wealth and education. Black skin color was the only reason that they could not feel like full citizens of a society intolerant of Afro-Americans.
Destination
From childhood, Miles understood that he should do for the family what his grandfather and father could not do. At that time, people with black skin could only succeed in sports and music. But, since Miles was not in good health, the road to sports was closed to him. Therefore, in order to fulfill his mission, the boy relied on music.
Since childhood, he decided to become a composer. His family was musical. Everyone owned a tool. Mother played the piano and violin and wanted Miles to master the playing of these instruments. But he chose the pipe. Since then, when the boy realized that music was his destiny, he began to confidently move towards the goal. He bought books about the life of great musicians, according to musical theory, listened to a lot of music, often visited the jazz orchestra. Seeing such a high interest in music, parents bought him a record player. These were the recordings of Art Tatum and Duke Ellington.
First steps in jazz
Miles started playing the trumpet. It didn’t work out very well for him, but he persistently continued his studies. By the age of 15, he was already earning music. At the age of 16, he met Charlie Parker, a star jazz saxophonist. This meeting was of crucial importance. A year later, after graduation, he goes to him in New York. From the autobiography of Miles Davis, you can learn about how Parker taught him to play jazz, and Miles, in turn, saved him from drugs.
The first fame came to the newly made jazz trumpeter after the release of a joint album with Parker. Miles's game was still far from perfect, but he constantly studied, moving forward. Soon, he began to play with Parker, replacing his trumpeter - super-virtuoso Dizzy Gillespie. Later, he replaces him, but already in the Ecstain Orchestra.
All this time, Miles plays bebop, in which African polyrhythmia is revived and improvisation is present.
Cool Jazz
Talking with white musicians, Gil Evans and Jerry Mulligan, brings a fresh note to Miles Davis's music. There are completely new arrangements. He creates a nonet with an unusual composition of the brass band. At the beginning of 1949 they recorded the album “The Birth of Cool Style” - “cool jazz”. The music of this album is the path to simplicity, where the trumpet's voice sounds against a harmonious background. And subsequently, all the Miles Davis albums that he writes will mark the birth of a new style or contain some discovery in jazz music.
Since 1951, Miles's dependence on drugs has become too strong, and he himself realizes this. In 1954, he finds the strength to abandon this dependence. A year later, he loses his friend Parker, who died from drugs.
Modal jazz
The musician continues his activity. He collects a quintet and then a sextet of famous jazz instrumentalists. In 1956, one of his most significant albums, Kind Of Blue, was released, the music of which laid the foundations of intellectual modal jazz. Later, another Sketches Of Spain album, again with white pianist Gil Evans. In it, Spanish tunes receive jazz processing.
In the 60s, Davis Miles is a jazz star, he already has several Grammys. During this period, his music undergoes changes, elements of free jazz appear. Improvisations are now freer in form, accompaniment - ragged, funky.
Fusion Style
The years 1969 - 1970 were marked by the work on the album Bitches Brew, which became very significant in the development of modern music. Here, all the achievements of modernist jazz are brought together. This is not entertaining, but psychedelic music. A direction is born, which is called "fusion" - a combination of incongruous.
The composition of the musicians with which Miles plays at this time is predominantly white. His fans began to reproach him with this. Miles, for the sake of the black public, is forced to change his line-up to black musicians. However, at the same time, he does not accept the racial background of the selection of performers, putting professional qualities in the first place.
Creative crisis and return to the scene
Since 1975, Davis Miles began to have health problems. Car accident, drugs, death of loved ones lead to deep depression. For 6 years he has not performed.
In 1981, his album The Man With A Horn was released, announcing the return of the musician to the stage. The next Tutu album, which Davis Miles recorded 5 years later, is the birth of a new style - funk rock jazz. The musician continues musical experiments, he is not afraid of anything new. Miles Davis did not write songs, but introduced rappers into his instrumental compositions.
The great musician died on September 28, 1991 in Santa Monica (California). Over the 50 years of his musical career, he has created a special, unique trumpet playing style. In creativity, he was an undoubted leader, constantly experimenting, discovering new names, forming new styles.