ENDEIT
Miles Davis
Photo: Tom Palumbo from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trumpeters · 1926–1991

Miles Davis

American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer (1926–1991)

Born
26 May 1926
Alton
Died
28 September 1991
Santa Monica
Country
United States
Active
1944–1991
Record labels
Columbia Records, Capitol Records, Philips Records, Prestige, ACT Music
Discography
53 albums

Biography

Miles Davis was a jazz musician who played trumpet, organ, flugelhorn and synthesizer. Miles Davis was born on 26 May 1926 in Alton and died on 28 September 1991 in Santa Monica. The music is usually filed under jazz, jazz fusion and bebop. Record labels: Columbia Records, Capitol Records, Philips Records and Prestige. The discography here lists 53 albums, from “The New Sounds” (1951) to “Rubberband” (2019). Honours include Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1984), honorary doctorate of Paris Nanterre University (1988) and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1990).

Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and painter. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. In a career spanning nearly five decades, Davis was at the forefront of several major stylistic developments in jazz, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, third stream, modal jazz, avant-garde jazz and jazz fusion. His legacy extends into rock, funk, classical and hip-hop. Born into an affluent family in Alton, Illinois, and raised in East St. Louis, Davis started on the trumpet in his early teens. He left to study at the Juilliard School in New York City, before dropping out and making his professional debut as a member of saxophonist Charlie Parker's bebop quintet from 1944 to 1948.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

The New Sounds 1951 · Prestige Young Man With a Horn 1952 · Blue Note Blue Period 1953 · Prestige Miles Davis, Vol. 2 1953 · Blue Note The Compositions of Al Cohn 1953 · Prestige Miles Davis With Sonny Rollins 1954 · Prestige Vol. 3 1954 · Blue Note Blue Moods 1955 · Debut Miles Davis and Milt Jackson Quintet / Sextet 1955 · Prestige Blue Haze 1956 · Prestige Collectors’ Items 1956 · Prestige Dig 1956 · Prestige Bags’ Groove 1957 · Prestige Miles Ahead 1957 · Columbia ’Round About Midnight 1957 · Columbia Milestones 1958 · Columbia Porgy and Bess 1958 · Columbia Kind of Blue 1959 · Columbia Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants 1959 · Prestige Sketches of Spain 1960 · Columbia Quiet Nights 1963 · Columbia Seven Steps to Heaven 1963 · Columbia E.S.P. 1965 · Columbia Sorcerer 1967 · CBS Miles in the Sky 1968 · Columbia Nefertiti 1968 · Columbia Filles de Kilimanjaro 1969 · CBS/Sony
In a Silent Way 1969 · Columbia
Bitches Brew 1970 · Columbia On the Corner 1972 · CBS/Sony Big Fun 1974 · CBS/Sony Get Up With It 1974 · Columbia Water Babies 1976 · Columbia The Man With the Horn 1981 · Columbia Star People 1983 Decoy 1984 · CBS You’re Under Arrest 1985 · CBS Tutu 1986 · Warner Bros. Records
Music From Siesta 1987
Concierto de Aranjuez 1988 · Live
Amandla 1989 · Warner Bros. Records Aura 1989 · CBS
Stockholm 1960 1990 · Live
Dingo 1991
Doo‐Bop 1992 · Warner Bros. Records
In Stockholm 1960 Complete 1992 · Live
Live 1992 · Live
Our Delight 1992 · Live
Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux 1993 · Live
What I Say? Volume 1 1994
What I Say? Volume 2 1994 · Live
Rubberband 2019 · Rhino
Mistakes I Meant to Make

Also plays on

Albums where Miles Davis is credited as a sideman

1955 Charlie Parker Memorial Vol. 1 — Charlie Parker trumpet
1956 The Charlie Parker Story — Charlie Parker trumpet
1970 Louis Armstrong and His Friends — Louis Armstrong background vocals
1989 Back on the Block — Quincy Jones instruments, performer, trumpet

Standards written by Miles Davis

TitleKeyFormGroove
So What D minor AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
All Blues G major A · 24 Jazz waltz
Blue In Green D minor AB · 14 Ballad
Milestones (Old) B♭ major ABBA · 40 Medium-up swing
Walkin' F major A · 12 Up-tempo swing
Freddie Freeloader B♭ major AA · 24 Medium swing
Milestones (New) G minor ABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Dig A♭ major AA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Four E♭ major ABAC · 32 Up-tempo swing
Tune Up B♭ major AA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Nardis E minor AABA · 32 Medium swing
Solar C minor A · 12 Medium swing
The Theme B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Miles Ahead C major ABA · 40 Medium swing
Half Nelson C major A · 16 Up-tempo swing
Serpent's Tooth B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Fran Dance B♭ major AABAB · 40 Medium swing
Pfrancing (No Blues) F major A · 12 Medium swing
Sippin' At Bells F major A · 14 Medium-up swing

Analysed solos by Miles Davis

  • K.C. Bluestrumpet · 120 BPM · C-maj · 1951-01-17
  • Tune Uptrumpet · 282 BPM · D-maj · 1953-03-19
  • Walkin'trumpet · 128 BPM · F-maj · 1954-04-29
  • Airegintrumpet · 241 BPM · Ab-maj · 1954-06-29
  • Vierd Bluestrumpet · 115 BPM · Bb-maj · 1956-03-16
  • Trane's Bluestrumpet · 164 BPM · Bb-maj · 1956-05-11
  • Blues by Fivetrumpet · 178 BPM · Bb-maj · 1956-10-26
  • Oleotrumpet · 271 BPM · Bb-maj · 1956-10-26
  • Oleotrumpet · 268 BPM · Bb-maj · 1956-10-26
  • So Whattrumpet · 139 BPM · D-maj · 1959-03-02
  • Bitches Brewtrumpet · 98 BPM · C-chrom · 1969-08-19
  • Bitches Brewtrumpet · 100 BPM · C-chrom · 1969-08-19
  • Miles Runs the Voodoo Downtrumpet · 118 BPM · F-maj · 1969-08-20
  • Miles Runs the Voodoo Downtrumpet · 118 BPM · F-maj · 1969-08-20
  • Agitationtrumpet · 253 BPM · · 20.22.01.1965
  • Dolorestrumpet · 275 BPM · · 24-25.10.1966
  • Orbitstrumpet · 264 BPM · · 24-25.10.1966
  • E.S.P.trumpet · 291 BPM · F-maj · September 1964?
  • Eighty-Onetrumpet · 138 BPM · F-maj · September 1964?

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • Klactoveedsedstene Charlie Parker Quintet · Charlie Parker · Miles Davis · Duke Jordan… archive.org ↗
  • Charlie's Wig Charlie Parker Quintet · Miles Davis · J. J. Johnson · Duke Jordan ·… archive.org ↗
  • Yardbird Suite Charlie Parker Septet · Charlie Parker · Lucky Thompson · Miles… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • YARDBIRD SUITE CHARLIE PARKER SEPTET · Charlie Parker · Lucky Thompson · Miles… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • ORINTHOLOGY CHARLIE PARKER SEPTET · Charlie Parker · Lucky Thompson · Miles… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • BIRD LORE CHARLIE PARKER SEPTET · Charlie Parker · Lucky Thompson · Miles… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • Crazeology Charlie Parker Sextet · Charlie Parker · Miles Davis · J. J. Johnson… · 1947 archive.org ↗
  • Dewey Square Charlie Parker Quintet · Charlie Parker · Miles Davis · Duke Jordan… · 1947 archive.org ↗

Books about Miles Davis

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Miles Davis play?

Miles Davis is known for playing trumpet, organ, flugelhorn and synthesizer.

When and where was Miles Davis born?

Miles Davis was born 26 May 1926 in Alton.

What are Miles Davis's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include The New Sounds (1951), Young Man With a Horn (1952), Blue Period (1953), Miles Davis, Vol. 2 (1953) and The Compositions of Al Cohn (1953).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.