Miles DAVIS

American composer and trumpeter, Miles Davis is considered one of the central figures in the history of jazz. A chameleon musician, he never stopped reinventing himself and his name is thus associated with all the major developments in modern jazz: be-bop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz and jazz rock.

Born in St. Louis to a middle-class African-American family, Miles Davis was introduced to the trumpet at the age of 13. He began playing in public in 1942 and joined several rhythm and blues bands. In 1944 he played with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, known as Bird, leaders of bebop, the avant-garde of jazz at the time. He then went to New York, where he enrolled at the Juilliard School of Music. However, he soon broke away from the European and "white" education and repertoire taught by this institution.

At the same time, he gradually joined the groups of many of the leading performers and musicians of the time (Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, and Charles Mingus). In 1945, he joined Charlie Parker's quintet, began composing his own works (Donna Lee) and attracted the attention of arranger Gil Evans. A collaboration with the latter led to the birth of "cool jazz" (Birth of the Cool, 1950).

The 50s
After going through the hell of drugs, Miles Davis began to question the sources of jazz again via hard bop. He then formed a first "classical" quintet that would record a series of timeless albums in 1955 and 56. Its members included John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). In the process, in parallel with his collaboration with Gil Evans' big orchestra, he imagined a sextet with two saxophones, with John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley. After meeting the pianist Bill Evans, one of the most significant albums in the history of jazz was born: Kind of Blue.

During a tour in Paris in 1957, he met Louis Malle and improvised the music for his film Ascenseur pour l'échafaud in one night.

The 60s
After some trial and error, Miles Davis surrounded himself with new musicians to form the most inventive group in the history of jazz. With pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Tony Williams, double bassist Ron Carter and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Their music took a new direction, freeing itself from the influences of the dominant currents.

The wind of the revolutions of 1968 did not spare Miles Davis' entourage. His musicians were interested in "electric" instruments and psychedelic rock, embodied above all by Jimi Hendrix. Miles Davis was inspired by this to initiate a rapprochement between jazz and rock, funk and "rhythm'n'blues" music. A signature that he would keep until the end of his career.

Finally, and after several years of silence and retirement, Miles Davis returned to the stage in 1980 with the album The Man with the Horn. He formed a new group with young musicians: Al Foster Bill Evans, Mike Stern, Marcus Miller and Mino Cinelu. Their sound was inspired by current trends: pop, rap, hip-hop. Just before disappearing in 1991, Miles made a final opening towards rappers and hip-hop.