About this episode
Miles Davis was among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. An iconic trumpeter and composer, Miles changed the genre of jazz more times than anyone before him or anyone since. He invented what we today call cool jazz, hard bop, and jazz fusion. His album Kind of Blue is one of the greatest pieces of art of the 20th century. Award-winning director and producer, Stanley Nelson, joins us to discuss his documentary Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool. W e learn about the music innovator's life journey, and the challenges that Stanley faced bringing Miles's story to the big screen. Available to watch on PBS, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, the film tells the story of Miles’s genius. His career encapsulated everything from playing with Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie to influencing generations of musicians. Miles was also a trend-setter and fashion icon, who way too often succumbed to his destructive drug addictions. “Miles was an icon to the African-American community; he became a black man that demanded excellence in his music and his life.” - Stanley Nelson