There are very few musicians who, with their music, can impact our lives for thebetter. There are even less that can do it over their entire career. Such is thecase of Mile Davis. A jazz-trumpeter whos sound transcended American culturefor over 40 years. In this report I will be reviewing his great life whichtouched so many people. Miles Dewey Davis was born May 25, 1926, in AltonIllinois.
(J S. Bowmen). He was born to a prosperous African-American familynear St. Louis Missouri.
At the age of ten he took up the trumpet in school. (JS. Bowmen). He of course learned very quickly, and soon he was playing withlocal jazz band. At the age of 17 he dropped out of school and headed out forNew York to be part of the great New York jazz scene. (J S.
Bowmen). It was inNew York that he would meet his idol, saxophonist, Charlie Parker. Miles becamepart of Charlies bebop quartet for several years. This was just a steppingstone however, for in 1948 he started his own 9-piece band. (J S. Bowmen).
Thisband created a new sound “cool jazz”. They released “The Birth of Cool”an album that to this day is considered one of the most influential jazz albumsever. He later left the band to pursue other projects. For the next five or sixyears he face a very serious heroin problem. (J S. Bowmen).
He released a seriesof what he called “uneven albums”. But in 1955 he would kick the habit forgood and began a legendary come back. He formed a new band with other great jazzmusicians such as saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Bill Evans.
