birth name: Miles Dewey Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Davis' trumpet solos, whether ruminating on a whispered ballad melody or jabbing against a beat, have been models for generations of jazz musicians. Other trumpeters play faster and higher, but more than in any technical feats Mr. Davis's influence lay in his phrasing and sense of space. “I always listen to what I can leave out,” he would say. Equally important, Mr. Davis never settled into one style; every few years he created a new lineup and format for his groups. Each phase brought denunciations from critics; each, except for the most recent one, has set off repercussions throughout modern jazz. “I have to change,” he once said. “It's like a curse.” ~ New York Times: Miles Davis Obituary ~ retrieved April 24, 2014 © New York Times
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Honoring musicians. Celebrating birthdays. Remembering death days.
May 26, 2007 ~ Billboard Hot 100 ~ #3 (4) Avril Lavigne, Girlfriend ~ #2 (1) Maroon 5, Makes Me Wonder ~ #1 (3) T-Pain featuring Yung Joc, Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')
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Miles Davis ~ Awarded a 1990 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Miles Davis ~ Kind Of Blue (1959) ~ Ranked #12 Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time in 2012 ~ This painterly masterpiece would become one of the most important, influential and popular albums in jazz. But at the time it was made, Kind Of Blue was a revolution all its own, a radical break from everything going on. Turning his back on standard chord progressions, trumpeter Miles Davis used modal scales as a starting point for composition and improvisation - breaking new ground with warmth, subtlety and understatement in the thick of hard bop. ~ 2012 © Rolling Stone
As a Session musician, guest or band member
Cannonball Adderley ~ Somethin' Else (1959) ~ Ranked #38 Jazzwise 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World in 2006 ~ Miles got the altoist to shine through ballads and burnished blowing throughout, complementing in fine style while the rest of the crew kept a discreet distance. ~ 2006 © Jazzwise