On September 28, 1991, Miles Davis died in a hospital in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 65. His doctor cited pneumonia, respiratory failure, and a stroke as the causes of death. Just a month earlier, the trumpeter had performed for the last time in front of an audience at the “Hollywood Bowl“.
Thirty-five years later, his name still signifies change. Davis did not stay in one musical form for long. He moved through bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz and fusion, each period creating recordings that became a point of reference for subsequent generations.
From Charlie Parker to „Kind of Blue“
Davis began playing the trumpet at age 13. In 1945, he moved to New York, where he worked with Charlie Parker and found himself at the center of the new jazz scene. In the late 1940s, the recordings later collected in Birth of the Cool gave shape to a more restrained and chamber sound.
His biggest early breakthrough came in 1959 with Kind of Blue. The recording featured John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Julian „Cannonball“ Adderley, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. The album became the best-selling title in the history of jazz and remains among the most influential recordings of the 20th century.
The Electric Turn
In the late 1960s, Davis refused to repeat what he had already achieved. In 1969, In a Silent Way was released, and a year later, the double album Bitches Brew. The electric instruments, long improvisations, rock rhythms and studio processing made the recording one of the foundational works of jazz fusion.
Bitches Brew received a „Grammy“ Award for Best Jazz Performance in 1971. Davis was also honored with a „Grammy“ for his life's work in 1990, a year before his death.
Last concerts
In July 1991, Davis returned to his earlier works at the Montreux Festival, where he played with an orchestra conducted by Quincy Jones. It was his first performance in decades of music from Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain. His last public concert was at the “Hollywood Bowl“ in August of that year.
“I know what I've done for music, but don't call me a legend. Just call me Miles Davis“, he said in a 1986 interview. The words explain his refusal to be confined to one era or genre. After his death, the albums Doo-Bop were released in 1992 and Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux in 1993.
Miles Davis leaves no single role model. He leaves behind a habit of starting over. That is why his music continues to sound not like an archive, but as an invitation to the next change.
Sources: Grammys, Los Angeles Times, UPI