Miles Dewey Davis. Family moved to East St. Louis in 1927. An early influence, whom he heard and met locally, was Clark Terry; he also met Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker when the Billy Eckstine band passed through town. His father sent him to New York to study at Juiliard in '45 and before long he was working in the small 52nd Street clubs with Parker and Coleman Hawkins; he also toured with the Benny Carter band and spent five months on the road with Eckstine. Back in NYC in '48 he led two bands at the Royal Roost: one was with Parker, Kai Winding and Allen Eager, the other a nine-piece group that later bacame internationally known through a series of Capitol recordings [Birth of the Cool].
Davis's major contributions as a soloist and as an orchestral innovator were made in the 1950's. Though his performances during the '60's often reached magnificent peaks of brilliance, the historically meaningful work he has brought to jazz dates back to the Capitol band, to the later [Gil] Evans Collaborations, and to the combo in which Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane were sidemen in 1957-59. Davis's own solo work, with its breathy, almost vocal quality, has retained a lyrical and sometimes jubilant character. His muted style particularly has been the source of inspiration for countless young trumpeters. "Diner au Motel" [mp3]
from 1957.
--LEONARD FEATHER, The Encyclopedia of Jazz
A selected discography of Miles Davis albums.
- Birth Of The Cool, 1949-50, Capitol.
- Miles Davis, Vol. 1, 1952-54, Blue Note.
- Miles Davis, Vol. 2, 1953, Blue Note.
- Walkin', 1954, Prestige.
- Bag's Groove, 1954, Prestige.
- Cookin', 1955-56, Prestige.
- Round About Midnight, 1955-56, Columbia.
- Milestones, 1958, Columbia.
- Kind Of Blue, 1959, Columbia.
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