Biography of Miles Davis
Born on May 26, 1926, Miles Davis is considered to be one of the most influential jazz musicians in history. Being a trumpeter, keyboardist, composer, and band-leader, Miles is responsible for the popularization of many styles of jazz throughout his long and prolific career. Miles Dewey Davis was born into a well-to-do family in the town of Alton, Illinois. The family owned a large portion of a farm where Miles learned to ride horses as a young boy. In 1927 the family moved to East St. Louis. Miles' mother, Cleota Henry, encouraged him to play the violin while his father bought him a trumpet when he turned thirteen and
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Instead of keeping with his studies, Miles was more concerned with his career as a musician in a band. Miles made some of his first recordings in 1945 and also joined Charlie Parker's quintet. Though Miles was not as developed during this time, his style was already easily recognizable and distinguished. In 1949, Miles had the opportunity to lead a band which consisted of nine players, also known as a nonet. The band used non-traditional instruments in a jazz setting. Many consider this to be the birth of. That same year Miles visited Europe and played at that year's Paris Jazz Festival in May. Because of his contact with people in the New York Clubs, Miles became addicted to heroin. Because of this, in 1953, Miles returned to his father's farm and remained there until his addiction was broken. In 1954 Miles made a number of important recordings, and began to utilize the Harmon mute which darkened the sound of his trumpet. Miles used this mute throughout the rest of his career. 1955 was perhaps one of the most important years of Mile's career. Miles played one his most popular solos ever for Thelonius Monk's "Round Midnight" at the Newport Jazz Festival. Miles was almost immediately popularized and continued to sign a record deal with Columbia and form his first quintet.
Miles Dewey Davis III was a phenomenal jazz trumpeter from the late 1940’s who composed several timeless jazz classics and would soon become immortalized within the genre. While attending the Institute of Musical Art, Davis skipped several classes only to participate in jam sessions with his mates, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, who too will become popular musicians. Davis and Parker often collaborated during the late 1940s, exploring with the capabilities of what one can improvise with harmonies and rhythms. Alongside musical innovation, Miles formed unique jazz groups which had included instruments that typically aren’t present within the genre, like the tuba and the french horn. Miles had become a heroin addict within the 1950s, and
Upon release from the home one year later, he frequently played in parade bands and began touring with Fate Marable where he learned the ropes of the business. His success from then on sky rocketed and included playing along side big name musicians in orchestras and bands. He often reflected upon his rough childhood and drew inspiration from it, perhaps the root of the attitude, feel and expression of his unique sound. His domination and success of the jazz scene can also be seen as a function of time and place as he grew up in the heart center of the evolution of jazz music at the time. Armstrong remained on top all throughout his life until his death on July 6th 1971.
Knocking the Beatles out of the number one spot on the Billboards in 1964, Louis Armstrong became of the most recognized Jazz musicians of his time. The famous performer wasn’t always living the high life as his childhood was quite grueling. Yet, he didn’t let it stop him from working his way up in the music business, and leaving a lasting impression on music. Louis Armstrong’s struggles in his childhood paved the way to his successful career of playing trumpet and singing to audiences worldwide, while leaving his mark on Jazz music’s style which still lives on today.
Duke Ellington was an American composer, and a bandleader who had composed thousands of scores over his 50 year career.Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. He was a major figure in the history of jazz music, Ellington career spanned more than half of the time of his composed thousands of songs for the stage, screen, and songbook. Ellington made one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in the western music and had continued to play what he called American music.
This was a hard move for Armstrong because he did not want to leave his hometown of New Orleans, but he knew it was a move he needed to make(Tirro). He made his first ever recording with Oliver’s band in 1923 under the Gennett Label. Though, in 1924, Armstrong was given the opportunity to move to New York City. He did not want to make the move, but his wife convinced him it was best for his career, and he went. In New York, Armstrong was the third cornet in Fletcher Henderson’s band(“Louis Daniel Armstrong”). While performing in Henderson’s band, Armstrong made many more recordings, and was lucky enough to work with some famous jazz singers and instrumentalists; Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter, and Sidney Bechet. But Armstrong became unhappy with the band because he was given few opportunities to solo and was rarely allowed to sing, which forced him away from Henderson’s band(Cogswell 18). Though he was only in New York for a year, this trip helped his talent become more nationally recognized. He built confidence, learned about showmanship, and improved his ability to read music(“Louis Daniel Armstrong”). Everybody in New York fell in love with him because not only was he a great musician, but his humor brought so much more to the performance(Shipton 26). He then returned to Chicago where he was given a spot in his wife’s band as the first chair cornet, his first time in
1955 is known to be Miles' 'breakthrough' year. The indication of his rising again in music was clearly stated at his performance in the Newport Jazz Festival. Davis continued to record and release and popularize himself in the next couple of years and this is
Miles Davis is very significant in the “Cool” period of Jazz. He is significant due to his unique approach to cool jazz as well as his ability to incorporate different genres into his music throughout the times. Miles Davis began his career when he moved to New York to attend Juilliard in 1944. He gained popularity very quickly with his space in the music and had a signiture trumpet sound.and appeared on 52nd street playing with Charlie Parker and making a name for himself. During the 1940’s Miles made a huge impact on the Cool era of jazz with Birth of Cool and his performances with the Claude Thornhill Band. His popularity during the Cool jazz period is what helped him gain fame.
When Miles Davis was younger he used to spit rice and peas out his mouth as a practice for playing the trumpet. The things that I seen in the video we watched about Miles Davis song titled So What was that the first solo that was taken was taken by Miles Davis and he had a really good solo, and the second instrument that took a solo was the saxophone. Miles Davis otherwise known as King Of Cool Jazz was a very talented artist or trumpeter I should say. He lived to see the age of 65 but he was very unhealthy so you can’t necessarily say he died of old age we don’t know what might have caused his death. He lived kind of a rockstar life and people he admired were people such as James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Sly and The Family Stone and Parliament-Funk.
Born in Alton, Illinois, Miles Davis grew up in a middle-class family in East St. Louis. Miles Davis took up the trumpet at the age of 13 and was playing professionally two years later. Some of his first gigs included performances with his high school bandand playing with Eddie Randall and the blue Devils. Miles Davis has said that the greatest musical experience of his life was hearing the Billy Eckstine orchestra when it passed through St. Louis. In September 1944 Davis went to New York to study at Juilliard but spend much more time hanging out on 52nd Street and eventually dropped out of school. He moved from his home in East St. Louis to New York primarily to enter school but also to locate his musical idol,
Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. He also learned to sing. Because of his long improvised solos, he inspired jazz so that long solos became an important part of jazz pieces and performances. (Cayton, 462) Armstrong was the king of jazz trumpet players. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. (Hakim, 58) Although Jazz was very popular itself, a majority of the fans and listeners were younger people. Flappers were commonly known during this time. They danced to the jazz music with a whole new style.
Born and raised in Illinois, Davis began performing in 1940s New York with saxophonist Charlie Parker before recording the Birth of the Cool sessions for Capitol Records, which were instrumental to the development of cool jazz. In the early 1950s, he recorded some of the earliest hard bop music while on Prestige Records but did so haphazardly due to a heroin addiction. After a widely acclaimed comeback performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955, he signed a
Nps.gov states that some of the greatest musician in America History has come from the jazz side of the world. Artist such as Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday and Jelly “Roll” Morton, pave the way for jazz to reach its height as it did in the early 20’s with the upbeat tempo and smooth classical sound. These artist brung a unique sound to jazz that was not there. Louis Armstrong contribute to jazz is so remarkable, he played the trumpet like no other. His sound was so soothing to the ears. When you think about jazz, Louis Armstrong is one of the first names most people relate to jazz. Jelly “Roll” Morton was probably the most influence artist there is. An innovative piano stylist and composer, began his odyssey outside of New Orleans as early as 1907. He continue his work throughout the 1920’s and was mainly consider the reason of the swing era.
a steady job with the Lion Hampton band, where he was featured as a soloist. This
To begin, Davis was signed to Columbia Records, He returned to New York created the first great incarnation of the Miles Davis Quintet and Charles Mingus. Their records explained the sound of cool jazz. He recorded a categories of albums of different diversity 'Miles Ahead ' (1957), 'Milestones ', (1958), and 'Kind Of Blue ' (1959), which was the best selling jazz albums of all time. For the past of 1960s, Miles continued his achievement with the
Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. He was from a very poor family and was sent to reform school when he was twelve after firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. At the school he learned to play cornet. After being released at age fourteen, he worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. He didn't own an instrument at this time,