Jazz biography: historical perspectives and artistic influence

Miles Davis

One cannot think of Jazz without thinking of Miles Davis. Davis is widely regarded as one of the foremost jazz trumpeters. However, it would be a mistake to believe that Davis' influence on the world of jazz was limited to his abilities as a trumpeter. Davis was recognized as a composer, a bandleader, and a keyboard player. In addition, Davis helped develop improvisational playing techniques, which incorporated modes. Finally, "Davis had an uncanny ability of always selecting great sidemen for his recording sessions. These recordings are full of original and creative sensitivity and are outstanding examples of jazz recordings made at that time." (The Official Miles Davis Website, 2001).

If Davis' mother had her way, jazz music today would be dramatically different. Davis was born to Miles Henry Davis, a dentist, and Cleota Davis. Cleota Davis was a blues pianist, but she kept that fact hidden from her son because she felt "that 'negro' music was not sufficiently genteel." (Wikipedia, 2005). Instead, Cleota wanted her son to learn the piano. However, Davis received his first trumpet at the age of nine. At thirteen, he began lessons with a local trumpeter and began seriously studying the trumpet. Davis showed tremendous skill as a trumpeter, and was even accepted at Julliard. However, an earlier experience with the Billy Eckstine band, when Davis was able to play trumpet in a band including such greats as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, left Davis determined to pursue a career in jazz. Although he moved to New York City to pursue a scholarship at Julliard, Davis became a member of Parker's quintet.

While jazz had as much of an influence on Davis as Davis had on jazz, one of the most negative aspects of the music scene had a tremendous influence on Davis; Davis became involved with drugs and spent half a decade as a heroin addict. However, Davis was not content to allow heroin to ruin his art or his life. With the help of his father, Davis kicked his heroin habit. However, Davis sobriety was not life-long. He later battled both cocaine and heroin addictions. In addition to his drug problems, Davis also contended with two chronic diseases: sickle cell anemia and diabetes.

At times, Davis personal life mirrored his life in jazz. He had three children, Cheryl, Gregory, and Miles, with the woman who was his childhood sweetheart, but never married her. (Frankling, 1986). In 1958, Davis and dancer Frances Taylor married. It was when they were divorcing that Davis became involved with actress Cicely Tyson. Davis then married soul singer Betty Mabry; while the marriage lasted on year, the divorce took almost three. It was after that marriage that Davis married longtime companion Cicely Tyson.

Miles Davis has been called "the major musical force of the second half of the 20th century." (Smith, 2003). This is because Davis has transcended labels and created music, without allowing himself to be limited by any genre or label. Davis began as a classical musician, but instead of pursuing his education at Julliard, Davis began working with Charlie Parker and Gil Evans. Together with Gil Evans, Miles recorded music that transformed the face of jazz from swing to cool jazz, as epitomized by the albums Miles Davis All Stars- Walkin, Blue Haze, Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, and Bag's Groove. One of the unique aspects of this type of jazz is that it makes an emotional appeal to the listener that competes with the technical appeal of the skill level of the musicians involved.

Davis then became part of what is now known as the first great quintet, along with John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Together they produced six albums, which have come to be recognized as among the best albums in jazz: The New Miles Davis Quintet, Relaxin', Cookin', Steamin', Workin', and Round About Midnight. Davis' music tends to have an identifying characteristic in each period of his work, and the trademark identifying the music of this time is that Davis played in the middle register, which gave his trumpet a warm sound.

Following this period, Davis once again teamed up with arranger Gil Evans, whom he first worked with shortly after arriving in New York City. They worked together on Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain, and Porgy and Bess. With Gil Evans, Miles achieved tremendous critical success. Davis used several dramatic techniques to separate his trumpetering from the style of others. Davis used silence during his solos, and had an "inner ability of restraint with regard to phrasing and time" (The Official Miles Davis Website, 2001).

In the early 1960s, Davis made two influential changes to his musical style. The first change is that Davis began playing more in the upper registers. The second change was that Davis began using electronic instruments in his music. This changed the sound of jazz from warm and mellow to more explosive. In addition, Davis made an additional change: in the mid 1960s he went from playing jazz standards on recordings and concentrated on recording original music.

After this point in time, Davis went into an arena known as jazz-rock, as typified in the album Bitches Brew. One of the defining characteristics of jazz-rock was the use of electric guitar on the recordings. While Davis' collaboration with Gil Evans brought him tremendous critical acclaim, it was his fusion of jazz and rock that finally brought him out of the jazz world and into the mainstream. Bitches Brew was Davis' only album to be in Billboard's Top 40. In this way, Davis demonstrated that his music was not simply jazz, but also had an appeal that transcended genres.