There are few musicians in the history of jazz that have as deeply and significantly affected the direction of the art form as Miles Davis. To celebrate his centennial on May 26, WRTI will present 24 hours of programming devoted entirely to his catalog.
That catalog spans many phases and permutations of style, reflecting a restless, ever-searching career. The artist born Miles Dewey Davis III, the son of a dentist, began playing the trumpet in elementary school. He would later enroll, and drop out of, the prestigious Juilliard School — an institution of higher learning that provided Davis, more importantly, with his entrée to New York.
Coming of age at the end of the era of great bandleaders like Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstine, Davis fit firmly into the bebop revolution that Gillespie helped kickstart with Charlie Parker. And like so many of Parker’s disciples, he found himself battling an addiction to heroin throughout the 1950s. He eventually rid himself of its grasp, but a dangerous appetite for mind-altering chemicals would be a throughline for Davis for the rest of his life.
A virtuoso with a particular genius for delivering emotional ballads in a warm, rich tone, Davis began his true ascent in the mid-‘50s, especially after forming his “First Great Quintet,” which included pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and two musicians with deep ties to the City of Brotherly Love: drummer Philly Joe Jones and saxophonist John Coltrane.
Through the remainder of Davis’ career (and especially during his most active period, which ended in the mid-‘70s), he would cement his place in jazz history as a master talent scout, propelling musicians like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Marcus Miller into the spotlight as members of his working bands.
The Miles Davis catalog stretches from the 1940s into the early ‘90s, and we’ll be drawing from all of it during our marathon programming, which begins at the stroke of midnight on May 26. Below, you’ll find WRTI staff annotating one track from each full decade of his career, along with more information about the programming schedule.
1940s: “Boplicity”
From Birth of the Cool
In a way, you could say that Miles began his recording career at the top. He was part of several historic sessions with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach at the start of the bebop era. In retrospect, though, you’d have to concur that he was a good journeyman trumpet player back then, only because we know what was yet to come. In 1949 and 1950, Miles led a group of rising jazz stars that included Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding, who would all have individual success on their own in the ‘50s. These sessions later became known as The Birth of the Cool. Some of these recordings were issued as 78-rpm singles, and eventually eight tracks were released in 1954 on the Capitol 10'' album Classics in Jazz.
The other four sides would be issued in 1957 with its well-known but curious title, The Birth of the Cool. I say curious because the word “cool” back then was mostly associated with west coast jazz, and these Miles Davis sides were recorded in New York City. Regardless, these landmark recordings helped elevate Miles’ profile, though it would take another four or five years before he'd establish himself as a preeminent figure in jazz. (Bob Craig)
1950s: "Generique"
From L'Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
Miles connected with filmmaker Louis Malle in Paris in 1957 and was invited to create music for this groundbreaking French New Wave film. The band, including three Frenchmen and expatriate drummer Kenny Clarke, watched scenes of the film on loop, then improvised the music cues according to Miles's instruction.
“Generique” not only captures the noir mood of the film, but it also foretells Miles's investigation of modal harmony in future landmark recordings like Kind of Blue. (Josh Jackson)
1960s: “Circle”
From Miles Smiles
By October of 1966, when Miles Davis brought his working quintet into the studio to record Miles Smiles, he had already activated the composerly impulse among each member of the band, Wayne Shorter chief among them. Subsequent studio releases, like Sorcerer and Nefertiti, would lean even more on their pen — but Davis was still the principal auteur, and his original writing for the group was often unsurpassable in its terse elegance and fruitful ambiguity.
“Circle,” a subtly shaded waltz, is a case in point. Opening with a spray of impressionistic arpeggios from Herbie Hancock at the piano, the song moves gently but purposefully through an unpredictable harmonic progression. Davis delivers some of his most yearning lyricism on record, accessing a whole range of tonal colors through a Harmon mute. Shorter and Hancock are no less sensitive in their ensuing solos, while bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams maintain a perfect balance of rootedness and airy drift. There are many more pyrotechnically thrilling performances by this band on record, but few that more effectively convey its gift for swirling intrigue. (Nate Chinen)
1970s: “Yesternow”
From A Tribute to Jack Johnson
Miles Davis’ A Tribute to Jack Johnson is bookended by two studio albums that also represent a seismic shift in the direction of his music. Bitches Brew and Live-Evil are indeed signature sessions that helped usher in the so-called “fusion” era. “Yesternow” — one of the two extended tracks on A Tribute to Jack Johnson — exudes raw electric energy; leisurely yet funky bass rhythms; portraits of celestial sonic soundscapes; and a healthy helping of jazz-rock spontaneity, including Herbie Hancock’s surprise unplanned appearance on the album.
According to drummer Billy Cobham, Herbie stopped by Columbia Studio B in New York City to deliver Miles a copy of Fat Albert Rotunda, his debut recording on Warner Brothers, which includes the celebrated “Tell Me a Bedtime Story” and the funk filled “Fat Mama.” Miles refused to let Herbie leave the studio without playing on the album, resulting in a frantic effort by engineer Stan Tonkel to dust off an old Farfisa organ (the only available keyboard in the studio) to accommodate Miles’ demands. (J. Michael Harrison)
1980s: “Tutu”
From Tutu
While composed by Marcus Miller, “Tutu” is a song that is ALL Miles. If you recall the 1980s, it was full of synthesizers and techno-pop, and Miles was one who was never afraid to explore when it came to music. In fact, he seemed to thrive on it. “Tutu” allowed for Miles and the ‘80s to meet each other where they both were.
Also happening in the 80’s, the fight to end South African apartheid; Miller wanted to shine a light on the work of archbishop Desmond Tutu, a defining voice in that historical movement. While Miles was never one to get too political, he apparently said to Marcus about the song: “Thanks man, you brought me back.” Miles had a way of exploring what was new as opposed to turning up his nose at it, and “Tutu” is a fine example. (Nicole Sweeney)
WRTI’s Miles Davis Centennial Celebration will be aired on Tuesday, May 26, on the following schedule:
Midnight to 6 a.m. on FM / HD-1
6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on HD-2
6 p.m. to Midnight on FM / HD-1
All programming can be heard worldwide at wrti.org or by using the WRTI mobile app.
Schedule highlights:
Midnight: Live album playback - 1965’s My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis in Concert
4 a.m.: Studio album playback - 1957’s Miles Ahead
8 a.m.: Featuring all selections performed by the “Second Great Quintet”
Noon: Live album playback - 2001’s At Newport 1958
4 p.m.: Studio album playback - 1956’s Conception
8 p.m.: Featuring all selections performed by the “First Great Quintet”
Midnight (5/27): Live album playback - 1971’s Live - Evil
