- Born
- 26 May 1926, Alton, Illinois, United States
- First work
- 1951: The New Sounds
- Peak
- 1955 to 1970 (estimated)
- Last work
- 1991: Doo-Bop
- Died
- 28 September 1991, Santa Monica, United States; aged 65; illness
Miles Davis
Music: trumpeter, bandleader, composer, United States
Miles Davis was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century music. Born in Alton, Illinois, in 1926, he emerged on the bebop scene playing alongside Charlie Parker before instigating pivotal stylistic evolutions, including cool jazz, hard bop and modal jazz. His 1959 masterpiece Kind of Blue remains the best-selling jazz record in history. Ever restless, Davis later integrated rock instrumentation to spearhead jazz fusion with In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. He remained a restless innovator until his death from pneumonia and stroke in Santa Monica in September 1991 at sixty-five.
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Signature works
- Birth of the Cool album1957
- 'Round About Midnight album1957
- Kind of Blue album1959
- Sketches of Spain album1960
- Miles Smiles album1967
- In a Silent Way album1969
- Bitches Brew album1970
Honours
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1990
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 2006
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, 1989
Groups: Miles Davis Quintet, The Miles Davis Sextet.