Miles Davis The Complete Illustrated History

by Rollins, Sonny; Davis, Francis; Wein, George; Bessieres, Vincent; Early, Gerald; Chinen, Nate; Jones, Nalini; Liebman, Dave; Cartwright, Garth; Cosby, Bill; Hancock, Herbie; Carter, Ron; Terry, Clark; White, Lenny; Tate, Greg; Kahn, Ashley; Kelley, Robin

• ISBN13: 9780760342626
• ISBN10: 0760342628
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-11-19
• Publisher: Voyageur Press

Summary

Here is the illustrated history of Miles Davis, the world's most popular jazz trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and musical visionary. Davis is one of the most innovative, influential, and respected figures in the history of music. He's been at the forefront of bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and jazz-rock fusion, and remains the favorite and best-selling jazz artist ever, beloved worldwide. He's also a fascinating character-moody, dangerous, brilliant. His story is phenomenal, including tempestous relationships with movie stars, heroin addictions, police busts, and more; connections with other jazz greats like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Gil Evans, John McLaughlin, and many others; and later fusion ventures that outraged the worlds of jazz and rock. Written by an all-star team, including Ashley Kahn, Sonny Rollins, Bill Cosby, Herbie Hancock, George Wein, Francis Davis, Lenny White, Robin D. G. Kelley, and more.

Author Biography

Sonny Rollins is one of the greatest living saxophonists, famous for honing his chops practicing on the Brooklyn Bridge. He first recorded with Miles Davis in 1951.

Francis Davis is the jazz critic for The Village Voice, a contributing editor for The Atlantic Monthly, and author of numerous books on jazz and the blues.

Jazz promoter and producer George Wein is one of the world's most famous jazz impresarios and the most important non-player in jazz history. He is the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival.

Vincent Bessières is a member of the French l’Académie du Jazz and an author and editor who writes frequently and with expertise on jazz. 

Gerald Early is Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, Professor of English and of African and Afro-American Studies, Director of the Center for Humanities, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Comedian Bill Cosby has been a jazz fan since way back when.

Keyboardist Herbie Hancock joined Miles Davis's second great quintet in 1963 and played a starring role in redefining the jazz rhythm section and launching the post-bop sound.

Ashley Kahn has written books on the making of two major jazz albums, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and A Love Supreme by John Coltrane, as well as a history of Impulse Records.

Robin D. G. Kelley is the author of the landmark biography Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Running the Voodoo Down Chapter 1 The Young Artist 1926–1948Beginnings by Ashley KahnThere Was a Time . . . by Clark TerryChapter 2 Birth of the Cool 1949–1953Miles in the 1940s and Early 1950s by Sonny RollinsMiles and Style by Bill CosbyChapter 3 Hard Bop 1954–1958 Miles in France by Vincent BessièresLove for Sale by Robin D. G. KelleyChapter 4 Kind of Blue 1958–1963Miles, Newport, and the Business of Jazz by George WeinChapter 5 A New Energy 1964–1968 Miles and the 1960s Quintet by Ron Carter and Herbie HancockMiles and the Ballads by Francis DavisChapter 6 Bitches Brew and Beyond 1969–1974Miles, Tony Williams, and the Road to Bitches Brew by Lenny WhiteMiles Goes Acoustic by Karl Hagstrom MillerChapter 7 Hiatus and Recovery 1975–1985Miles and Women by Nalini JonesMiles Davis in the Ring by Gerald EarlyChapter 8 Tutu and Farewell 1986–1991Miles in the 1980s by Greg TateTiming by Dave LiebmanAfterword: Miles in the Afterlife by Nate ChinenIndex