Davis, Miles, 1926–91, American jazz musician, b. Alton, Ill. Rising to prominence with the birth of modern jazz in the mid-1940s, when he was a sideman in Charlie Parker Parker, Charlie "Bird" (Charles Christopher Parker, Jr.), 1920–55, American musician and composer, b. Kansas City, Kans. He began playing alto saxophone in 1933, and after shifting from one band to another he met Dizzy Gillespie in New York City.
..... Click the link for more information. 's bop quintet, Davis became a dominant force in jazz trumpet. He was influential in the development of "cool" jazz in 1949–50, led numerous outstanding small groups through the 1950s and 60s, and produced a successful blend of jazz and rock music rock music, type of music originating in the United States in the mid-1950s and increasingly popular throughout much of the world.

Origins of Rock

..... Click the link for more information. in the 1970s and 80s. Davis's trumpet and flügelhorn styles were warmly lyrical and were marked by a brilliant use of mutes. He made many recordings, which reflect his stylistic changes; Kind of Blue (1959), a landmark of modal jazz, has been a best-seller since it was issued.

Bibliography

See Miles: The Autobiography (1989, with Q. Troupe); biographies by I. Carr (1982), J. Chambers (2 vol., 1983–85), B. McRae (1988), and J. Szwed (2002); Q. Troupe, Miles and Me (2000).

Davis, Miles (Dewey)

Miles Davis, 1969.

(credit: Votavafoto from London Daily Express/Pictorial Parade)

(born May 26, 1926, Alton, Ill., U.S.—died Sept. 28, 1991, Santa Monica, Calif.) U.S. trumpeter and bandleader. Davis grew up in East St. Louis, Mo., and began study at the Juilliard School in New York City in 1944. He worked with Charlie Parker (1946–48). His early efforts as a bandleader resulted in a series of recordings (1949–50) later released as the album Birth of the Cool (1957), in which a relaxed aesthetic replaced the more frenetic bebop with the “cool jazz” of the 1950s. From 1955 Davis's groups framed his spare, lyrical approach in contrast to the dense complexity of saxophonists such as John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. His dark, brooding tone, logically paced improvisations, and frequent use of the metal mute were major influences on jazz trumpet soloists. The 1959 album Kind of Blue was a pioneering example of modal harmonic jazz. His music became more aggressive during the 1960s, and his use of electronic instruments by the end of the decade (Bitches Brew, 1969) gave rise to the jazz-rock fusion of the 1970s. Davis was one of the most original and influential jazz musicians. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.