Died On This Date (September 28, 1991) Miles Davis / Jazz Icon

themusicsover September 28, 2009 0 Comments

Miles Davis
May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991

Miles Davis was trumpeter who was one of jazz’s must influential musicians of all times.  Over the course of his career, he helped launch the careers of some of biggest names in jazz by hiring them for his bands.  That list includes John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.  In 19444, Davis moved to New York City right after graduating from high school.  He became an integral part of the be-bop scene there.  He also helped pave the way for other forms of jazz as well, including hard bop, fusion, cool jazz, and free jazz.    In 1959, Davis released A Kind Of Blue, which would go on to be his biggest selling album and a key release of all jazz.  Over the course of his career, Davis was awarded nine Grammys for now classic albums like Bitches Brew, Aura and Sketches of Spain.  Davis suffered from cocaine addiction for many years, and was finally able to kick it in the early ’80s.  That decade proved to be a nice renaissance period for him thanks in part to his associating with more contemporary pop artists like Public Image Ltd., Scritti Politti, and Artists United Against Apartheid.  Miles Davis passed away on September 28, 1991 at the age of 65.  Causes of death was pneumonia, stroke and respiratory failure.

What You Should Own