On the anniversary of the death of Miles Davis, I want to look at several books about the legendary musician.
- Miles: The Autobiography by Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe (1990) is the candid, pull-no-punches kind of autobiography that one would expect from Davis. He provides a detailed picture of the jazz scene from the 1930s through the 1980s and the musicians who were part of that scene, most of whom worked with him. He tells some wonderful stories about skipping school to play with Bird or about quitting heroin "cold turkey" or about almost making an album with Jimi Hendrix. His prejudices, his sense of victimization, his pursuit of his vision of what the music should be — it's all here, straight from the legend himself. (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
- So What: The Life of Miles Davis is a balanced biography of Davis by Yale professor John F. Szwed (2004) that is particularly good at looking at the development of the great musician's art, from his days playing with Charlie Parker and feeling inadequate in the face of Parker's brilliance. Szwed also does a good job of explaining the context for Davis's music, the environments in which it was developed, the artists who influenced him, and the details of the most important recording sessions. Szwed also had unprecedented access to members of Davis's family and provides information not previously made available. (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
- Ashley Kahn's Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece (2007) focuses on the most popular jazz album of all time and discusses a wide range of topics related to that album, including the creative vision of Davis, the history of jazz, the jazz scene of the late 1950s, recording techniques, and the marketing of jazz recordings. The book examines every song on the album in detail, from origin to realization. Kahn also looks at the relationships among the musicians who recorded the albums — Davis's respect for pianist Bill Evans, his influence on saxophonist John Coltrane's musical development, and the impact of Davis's heroin addiction on himself and on his band. The book is an excellent tribute to the great album and should help listeners appreciate the music even more. (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
- Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967-1991 by Paul Tingen (2003) looks at Davis's experiments with what would eventually become fusion — the use of rock and funk music, electric instruments, lengthy group improvisations, and electronic postproduction techniques — from the 1968 album, Miles in the Sky; the 1969 album, In a Silent Way; and the seminal Bitches' Brew. Tingen notes that this period of Davis's career is often dismissed by critics but that it was, in fact, a continuation of experiments that the artist had been conducting since the mid-1960s and was partly motivated by Davis's desire to reach a larger audience. A feature of the book is Tingen's interviews with a number of Davis's side men, including pianist Herbie Hancock, guitarist John McLaughlin, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
- Philip Freeman's Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis (2005) is similar in scope to Paul Tingen's book but is, on the one hand, more provocative and, on the other hand, less well researched. Freeman does a good job of using his own knowledge of heavy metal, hard bop, and funk to make the often difficult music more accessible. Freeman is also good at setting the early fusion music in context. (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
- Miles on Miles: Interviews and Encounters with Miles Davis by Paul Maher Jr. and Michael K. Dorr (2008) is a collection of 28 interviews given by Davis. These range from an interview in 1957 to promote one of his recordings to an interview just two years before his death in 1991. Davis, as one might expect, comes across as tough, fearless, and incredibly talented. Davis's honesty — whether discussing his music or racial issues — comes through loud and clear in these conversations. (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
Robert
