 Born
just outside of St. Louis in Alton, Illinois, Miles Davis was playing the
trumpet professionally by the age of 15. He moved to new York to hear and
perform with his idol, Charlie Parker. Once in New York, he played with
several big bands and started his own bebop groups. He also began a career-long
collaboration with Gil Evans which resulted in the Birth of the Cool recordings
(1940-1950), famous for contributing to the popularity of cool jazz. All
together, Davis's career spanned 50 years. Interrupted by several illnesses,
setbacks, and temporary retirement, Davis performed and evolved through
several jazz styles, contributing to jazz-rock and modal jazz later in his
career. Even so, Davis's sound was distinctively "cool." |