Miles Davis
Miles Davis (1926–1991) was a jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader whose music moved from bebop and cool jazz to electric fusion; his estate keeps his recordings and art in circulation.
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Miles’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Full name
- Miles Dewey Davis III
- Born
- May 26, 1926 · Alton, Illinois
- Died
- September 28, 1991
- Grew up
- East St. Louis, Illinois
- Work
- Trumpeter, composer, bandleader and painter
- Breakout
- 1955 Newport Jazz Festival performance of ’Round Midnight
- Legacy today
- Estate-led releases, archival performances and centennial projects
Mini bio
How it started.
Miles Davis grew up in East St. Louis and began trumpet lessons with Elwood Buchanan as a teenager. In 1944 he moved to New York to attend Juilliard and seek out Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Playing with Parker put him inside the emerging bebop scene.
Finding his voice.
His nonet recordings became Birth of the Cool. A much-discussed performance of ’Round Midnight at Newport in 1955 helped open the door to Columbia Records. That year, his first great quintet came together with John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.
Always moving.
Kind of Blue explored improvisation with fewer harmonic changes. Sketches of Spain paired his horn with Gil Evans’s arrangements. He later moved into electric textures on In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, and worked with programmed tracks on Tutu.
The music carries on.
Davis died on September 28, 1991. His official channels now share his recordings and history, while his estate develops reissues, exhibitions and tributes. The 2026 centennial also highlights his painting and drawing, alongside the music.
Creditschronological, newest first
Music
- 1986TutuTrumpeter
- 1970Bitches BrewTrumpeter and bandleader
- 1969In a Silent WayTrumpeter and bandleader
- 1960Sketches of SpainTrumpet and flugelhorn, with Gil Evans
- 1959Kind of BlueTrumpeter and bandleader
- 1957Birth of the CoolTrumpeter and nonet leader
Books
- 1989Miles: The AutobiographyAuthor, with Quincy Troupe
Awards
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame2006 · Inducted in the Performer category by Herbie Hancock.
- Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award1990 · Honor for his recorded legacy.
- NEA Jazz Master1984 · National Endowment for the Arts fellowship.
- Eight Grammy AwardsHis wins include Sketches of Spain, Bitches Brew, Tutu, Aura, Doo-Bop and Miles and Quincy Live at Montreux.
Quotes
I knew I had learned all I could from playing around St. Louis, knew it was time to move on.Miles Davis, recollection quoted in his official timeline
He was recalling his decision to leave for New York in 1944.
Trivia
- His mother wanted him to play violin; his father gave him a trumpet.
- Teacher Elwood Buchanan encouraged him to avoid vibrato and develop a clear trumpet tone.
- He appears as a street musician playing We Three Kings in the 1988 film Scrooged.
- He also painted and drew. A 2026 Pasadena exhibition displayed 26 original works on canvas and paper.
Find Miles
Explore his music and follow the official channels preserving his legacy.
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