Miles Davis: podcast appearances and interviews

Miles Dewey Davis III was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer recognized as one of the most influential and acclaimed figures in jazz and 20th-century music. His career spanned nearly five decades and included pioneering contributions to multiple jazz styles such as bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, third stream, modal jazz, avant-garde jazz, and jazz fusion. Davis's innovative approach extended beyond jazz into jazz-rock fusion, funk, classical, and hip-hop genres. Born in Alton, Illinois, and raised in East St Louis, he began playing trumpet in his early teens. He studied at the Juilliard School before making his professional debut with Charlie Parker's quintet from 1944 to 1948. His recording of the Birth of the Cool sessions helped develop cool jazz, and his work amidst heroin addiction contributed to the early hard bop sound. Davis signed with Columbia Records in the mid-1950s, producing landmark albums such as Kind of Blue, which remains one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. Throughout his career, he experimented with various lineups and styles, including collaborations with Gil Evans and the addition of key musicians like John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. His electric period in the late 1960s and 1970s, beginning with the album In a Silent Way, marked a significant shift into jazz fusion, which influenced numerous genres and artists. After a brief retirement due to health issues, Davis returned to recording and performing in the 1980s, further expanding his musical scope. He died in 1991 at the age of 65. Davis was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and widely regarded as one of the most important and innovative musicians of the 20th century.