Miles Davis

One of the world’s most influential and acclaimed figures in the jazz era, Miles Davis emerged as a member of saxophonist Charlie Parker’s bebop quintet from 1944 to 1948. The American musician then recorded the ‘Birth of the Cool’ sessions with Capitol Records, pioneering the development of cool jazz. He later signed with Columbia Records and debuted his first album with saxophonist John Coltrane and bassist Paul Chambers, ‘Round about Midnight’, in 1955.  

Coltrane and Chambers became vital members of the sextet Davis led into the early 1960s, alternating between orchestral jazz collaborations with Gil Evans (such as the 1960 album ‘Sketches of Spain’) and the band's own album recordings ‘Milestones’ (1958) and ‘Kind of Blue’ (1959). The lattermost is considered one of the most famous jazz albums ever, with over five million records sold in the US.  

Davis made several musician changes while recording ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’ (1961) and ‘Seven Steps to Heaven’ (1963), introducing bassist Ron Carter, pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Tony Williams, and later, saxophonist Wayne Shorter in 1964. The new quintet helped pioneer the post-bop genre with albums such as ‘E.S.P’ (1965) and ‘Miles Smiles’ (1967) before moving into their electric era.  

Throughout the 70s, Davis changed line-ups and experimented with rock, funk, African rhythms, and electronica, starting with the album ‘In a Silent Way’ and concluding with the live concert recording ‘Agharta’ (1975). However, it was his 1970 record ‘Bitches Brew’ (certified gold) that sparked a resurgence in jazz fusion. In the 1980s, he explored pop sounds on records ‘The Man with the Horn’ and ‘Tutu’, fueling sold-out live performances from the commercial success.  

Following his death in 1991, Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as “one of the key figures in jazz history”.