Miles Dewey Davis III was born May 26, 1926, in Alton, Illinois, United States. His life created pivotal moments in the history of jazz, especially in the United States. He died on September 28, 1991, in Santa Monica, California, United States.
By age 12, music became a staple in his life. By the time he was age 9, he had received his first trumpet, which led to music becoming an absolute staple in his life at age 12.
By 15, he entered music competitions in his high school, East St. Louis Lincoln High School. People discriminated against him because of his race, but those experiences built up his resilience as a musician and a person.
At a time when racial injustice was rampant in the United States, Davis's fire for music not petering out despite discrimination was a critical aspect of his success, leading him to eventually pave the way for growth and inspiration in the music scene outside of himself.
In September 1944, Davis began studying at the Institute of Musical Arts, or Juilliard School, in New York City, and a year later, his career started to take off. Davis participated in many recording sessions in Charlie Parker’s quintet. Charlie Parker was an American saxophonist.
In Parker's tune, “Now’s the time,” Davis has a solo that began the “cool jazz” era. Cool jazz is modern jazz that gained popularity in America after the Second World War. It has soft elements of classical music and defining parts; it has more formalized and relaxed tempos.
Miles Davis created a new era for jazz and classical music, both important parts of art in the 20th century, garnering spots in labels such as Warner Bros, Prestige, and Capitol. He is truly an underrated but significant musician.
Jul 9
2 min read