102-537: Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center . He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards, and his oratorio Blood on the Fields was the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music . Marsalis
204-688: A Jazz at Lincoln Center concert. The concert was recorded and released as the album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center . In 1995, he hosted the educational program Marsalis on Music on public television, while during the same year National Public Radio broadcast his series Making the Music . Both programs won the George Foster Peabody Award , the highest award given in journalism. In 2005, Marsalis played at Apple's "It's Showtime" Special Event on October 12, where
306-484: A Silent Way and concluding with the 1975 concert recording Agharta , was the most controversial in his career, alienating and challenging many in jazz. His million-selling 1970 record Bitches Brew helped spark a resurgence in the genre's commercial popularity with jazz fusion as the decade progressed. After a five-year retirement due to poor health, Davis resumed his career in the 1980s, employing younger musicians and pop sounds on albums such as The Man with
408-603: A band that performed at the Elks Club. Part of his earnings paid for his sister's education at Fisk University . Davis befriended trumpeter Clark Terry , who suggested he play without vibrato, and performed with him for several years. With encouragement from his teacher and girlfriend, Davis filled a vacant spot in the Rhumboogie Orchestra , also known as the Blue Devils, led by Eddie Randle. He became
510-634: A brief period with Roach and Mingus in September 1953, he returned to his father's home, where he concentrated on addressing his addiction. Davis lived in Detroit for about six months, avoiding New York City, where it was easy to get drugs. Though he used heroin, he was still able to perform locally with Elvin Jones and Tommy Flanagan as part of Billy Mitchell 's house band at the Blue Bird club. He
612-551: A collaboration with bassist Charles Mingus that summer. Cawthon gave birth to Davis's second child, Gregory, in East St. Louis before reuniting with Davis in New York City the following year. Davis noted that by this time, "I was still so much into the music that I was even ignoring Irene." He had also turned to alcohol and cocaine. Davis was a member of Billy Eckstine's big band in 1946 and Gillespie's in 1947. He joined
714-528: A gift from John Eubanks, a friend of his father. He then took weekly lessons from "the biggest influence on my life," Elwood Buchanan , a teacher and musician who was a patient of his father. His mother wanted him to play the violin instead. Against the fashion of the time, Buchanan stressed the importance of playing without vibrato and encouraged him to use a clear, mid-range tone. Davis said that whenever he started playing with heavy vibrato, Buchanan slapped his knuckles. In later years Davis said, "I prefer
816-600: A groove!" But Clarke also said, "These things I've said about Wynton are my criticism of him, but the positive things I have to say about him outweigh the negative. He has brought respectability back to jazz." When he met Miles Davis, one of his idols, Davis said, "So here's the police ...". For his part, Marsalis compared Miles Davis's embrace of rock and pop music (most notably in his 1970 album Bitches Brew ) to "a general who has betrayed his country." Marsalis has called rap "hormone driven pop music" and said that hip hop "reinforces destructive behavior at home and influences
918-650: A guest soloist. Davis accepted and worked with Gil Evans in what became a five-album collaboration from 1957 to 1962. Miles Ahead (1957) showcased Davis on flugelhorn and a rendition of "The Maids of Cadiz" by Léo Delibes , the first piece of classical music that Davis recorded. Evans devised orchestral passages as transitions, thus turning the album into one long piece of music. Porgy and Bess (1959) includes arrangements of pieces from George Gershwin's opera . Sketches of Spain (1960) contained music by Joaquín Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla and originals by Evans. The classical musicians had trouble improvising, while
1020-547: A lecturer and musical ambassador, a "21st-century Leonard Bernstein" according to one writer. In 1987, Marsalis helped start the Classical Jazz summer concert series at Lincoln Center in New York City. The success of the series led to Jazz at Lincoln Center becoming a department at Lincoln Center, then to becoming an independent entity in 1996 alongside organizations such as the New York Philharmonic and
1122-403: A musical director at a record label. Avakian agreed that it was time for Davis to explore something different, but Davis rejected his suggestion of returning to his nonet as he considered that a step backward. Avakian then suggested that he work with a bigger ensemble, similar to Music for Brass (1957), an album of orchestral and brass-arranged music led by Gunther Schuller featuring Davis as
SECTION 10
#17327796762271224-442: A new group. Following auditions, he found his new band in tenor saxophonist George Coleman , bassist Ron Carter , pianist Victor Feldman , and drummer Frank Butler . By May 1963, Feldman and Butler were replaced by 23-year-old pianist Herbie Hancock and 17-year-old drummer Tony Williams who made Davis "excited all over again". With this group, Davis completed the rest of what became Seven Steps to Heaven (1963) and recorded
1326-495: A new trumpet, and Davis began to play in local bands. He took additional trumpet lessons from Joseph Gustat, principal trumpeter of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra . Davis would also play the trumpet in talent shows he and his siblings would put on. In 1941, the 15-year-old attended East St. Louis Lincoln High School , where he joined the marching band directed by Buchanan and entered music competitions. Years later, Davis said that he
1428-443: A one-year contract with Prestige after owner Bob Weinstock became a fan of the nonet. Davis chose Lewis, trombonist Bennie Green , bassist Percy Heath , saxophonist Sonny Rollins , and drummer Roy Haynes ; they recorded what became part of Miles Davis and Horns (1956). Davis was hired for other studio dates in 1951 and began to transcribe scores for record labels to fund his heroin addiction. His second session for Prestige
1530-417: A photograph of his wife, Frances Taylor , after Davis demanded that Columbia depict black women on his album covers. In December 1962, Davis, Kelly, Chambers, Cobb, and Rollins played together for the last time as the first three wanted to leave and play as a trio. Rollins left them soon after, leaving Davis to pay over $ 25,000 (equivalent to $ 251,800 in 2023 ) to cancel upcoming gigs and quickly assemble
1632-422: A profitable pig farm. In Pine Bluff, he and his siblings fished, hunted, and rode horses. Davis's grandparents were the owners of an Arkansas farm where he would spend many summers. In 1927, the family moved to East St. Louis, Illinois . They lived on the second floor of a commercial building behind a dental office in a predominantly white neighborhood. Davis's father would soon become distant to his children as
1734-780: A quintet led by Parker that also included Max Roach. Together they performed live with Duke Jordan and Tommy Potter for much of the year, including several studio sessions. In one session that May, Davis wrote the tune "Cheryl", for his daughter. Davis's first session as a leader followed in August 1947, playing as the Miles Davis All Stars that included Parker, pianist John Lewis , and bassist Nelson Boyd ; they recorded "Milestones", "Half Nelson", and "Sippin' at Bells". After touring Chicago and Detroit with Parker's quintet, Davis returned to New York City in March 1948 and joined
1836-580: A roommate. Around this time Davis was paid an allowance of $ 40 (equivalent to $ 690 in 2023 ). In mid-1945, Davis failed to register for the year's autumn term at Juilliard and dropped out after three semesters because he wanted to perform full-time. Years later he criticized Juilliard for concentrating too much on classical European and "white" repertoire, but he praised the school for teaching him music theory and improving his trumpet technique. Davis began performing at clubs on 52nd Street with Coleman Hawkins and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis . He recorded for
1938-408: A round sound with no attitude in it, like a round voice with not too much tremolo and not too much bass. Just right in the middle. If I can't get that sound I can't play anything." The family soon moved to 1701 Kansas Avenue in East St. Louis. In his autobiography, Davis stated, "By the age of 12, music had become the most important thing in my life." On his thirteenth birthday his father bought him
2040-556: A series of more abstract recordings often composed by the band members, helping pioneer the post-bop genre with albums such as E.S.P. (1965) and Miles Smiles (1967), before transitioning into his electric period. During the 1970s, he experimented with rock, funk, African rhythms , emerging electronic music technology , and an ever-changing lineup of musicians, including keyboardist Joe Zawinul , drummer Al Foster , bassist Michael Henderson , and guitarist John McLaughlin . This period, beginning with Davis's 1969 studio album In
2142-554: A strong liking to Paris and its cultural environment, where he felt black jazz musicians and people of color in general were better respected than in the U.S. The trip, he said, "changed the way I looked at things forever". He began an affair with singer and actress Juliette Gréco . After returning from Paris in mid-1949, he became depressed and found little work except a short engagement with Powell in October and guest spots in New York City, Chicago, and Detroit until January 1950. He
SECTION 20
#17327796762272244-547: A studio recording together, and became known as Davis's "lost quintet", though radio broadcasts from the band's European tour have been extensively bootlegged. For the double album Bitches Brew (1970), he hired Jack DeJohnette , Harvey Brooks , and Bennie Maupin . The album contained long compositions, some over twenty minutes, that more often than not, were constructed from several takes by Macero and Davis via splicing and tape loops amid epochal advances in multitrack recording technologies. Bitches Brew peaked at No. 35 on
2346-450: A tired Evans left. Wynton Kelly , his replacement, brought to the group a swinging style that contrasted with Evans's delicacy. The sextet made their recording debut on Jazz Track (1958). By early 1957, Davis was exhausted from recording and touring and wished to pursue new projects. In March, the 30-year-old Davis told journalists of his intention to retire soon and revealed offers he had received to teach at Harvard University and be
2448-517: A vegetarian diet, and spoke of the benefits of water and juice. In December 1948, Davis quit, saying he was not being paid. His departure began a period when he worked mainly as a freelancer and sideman. His nonet remained active until the end of 1949. After signing a contract with Capitol Records , they recorded sessions in January and April 1949, which sold little but influenced the "cool" or "west coast" style of jazz. The lineup changed throughout
2550-611: A while, the band expanded to include Wessell Anderson , Wycliffe Gordon , Eric Reed , Herlin Riley , Reginald Veal , and Todd Williams. When asked about influences on his playing style, he cites Duke Ellington , Miles Davis , Harry Sweets Edison , Clark Terry , Dizzy Gillespie , Jelly Roll Morton , Charlie Parker , Wayne Shorter , Thelonious Monk , Cootie Williams , Ray Nance , Maurice André , and Adolph Hofner . Other influences include Clifford Brown , Freddie Hubbard , and Adolph Herseth . Marsalis has established himself as
2652-455: A written score and instead improvised while they watched the film in a recording studio. After returning to New York, Davis revived his quintet with Adderley and Coltrane, who was clean from his drug habit. Now a sextet, the group recorded material in early 1958 that was released on Milestones , an album that demonstrated Davis's interest in modal jazz . A performance by Les Ballets Africains drew him to slower, deliberate music that allowed
2754-605: Is a music producer known professionally as Slauson Malone 1 . Marsalis was raised Catholic . In 1983, at the age of 22, he became the only musician to win Grammy Awards in jazz and classical music during the same year. At the award ceremonies the next year, he won again in both categories. After his first album came out in 1982, Marsalis won polls in DownBeat magazine for Musician of the Year, Best Trumpeter, and Album of
2856-403: Is his older brother and Jason Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis are younger. All three are jazz musicians. While sitting at a table with trumpeters Al Hirt , Miles Davis , and Clark Terry , his father jokingly suggested that he might as well get Wynton a trumpet, too. Hirt volunteered to give him one, so at the age of six Marsalis received his first trumpet. Although he owned a trumpet when he
2958-458: Is the only musician to have won a Grammy Award in both jazz and classical categories in the same year. Marsalis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana , on October 18, 1961, and grew up in the suburb of Kenner . He is the second of six sons born to Dolores Ferdinand Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis Jr. , a pianist and music teacher. He was named after jazz pianist Wynton Kelly . Branford Marsalis
3060-817: The Irene Diamond Education Center with rehearsal and recording rooms. The Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame is named for Nesuhi Ertegun , co-founder of Atlantic Records . A 60-person international voting panel, which includes musicians, scholars and educators from 17 countries, is charged to nominate and select "the most definitive artists in the history of jazz for induction into the Hall of Fame". Inductees have included: 2004 2005 2007 2008 2010 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2022 2023 2024 Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991)
3162-742: The Jazz at the Philharmonic tour, which included a stop in St. Louis on April 30. In August 1948, Davis declined an offer to join Duke Ellington 's orchestra as he had entered rehearsals with a nine-piece band featuring baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and arrangements by Gil Evans , taking an active role on what soon became his own project. Evans' Manhattan apartment had become the meeting place for several young musicians and composers such as Davis, Roach, Lewis, and Mulligan who were unhappy with
Wynton Marsalis - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-551: The New Orleans Philharmonic . Two years later he performed Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major by Bach. At seventeen, he was one of the youngest musicians admitted to Tanglewood Music Center . Marsalis applied to only two music colleges, the Juilliard School and Northwestern University . He was accepted to both schools and chose to attend the former. In 1979, he moved to New York City to attend
3366-525: The State University of New York , and the University of Michigan (2023). Best Jazz Instrumental Solo Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) Best Spoken Word Album for Children Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center is an organization based in New York City. Part of Lincoln Center ,
3468-468: The 1966 Newport Jazz Festival, he returned to the studio with his quintet for a series of sessions. He started a relationship with actress Cicely Tyson , who helped him reduce his alcohol consumption. Material from the 1966–1968 sessions was released on Miles Smiles (1966), Sorcerer (1967), Nefertiti (1967), Miles in the Sky (1968), and Filles de Kilimanjaro (1968). The quintet's approach to
3570-652: The Birdland All-Stars, which included the Modern Jazz Quartet and French and German musicians. In Paris, he reunited with Gréco and they "were lovers for many years". He then returned home, reunited his quintet and toured the US for two months. Conflict arose on tour when he grew impatient with the drug habits of Jones and Coltrane. Davis was trying to live a healthier life by exercising and reducing his use of alcohol. But he continued to use cocaine. At
3672-609: The Dutch Edison Award and the French Grand Prix du Disque . The Mayor of Vitoria, Spain, gave him the city's gold medal, its most coveted distinction. In 1996, Britain's senior conservatoire, the Royal Academy of Music , made him an honorary member, the academy's highest decoration for a non-British citizen. The city of Marciac, France, erected a bronze statue in his honor for the key role he played in
3774-519: The Great Depression caused him to become increasingly consumed by his job; typically working six days a week. From 1932 to 1934, Davis attended John Robinson Elementary School, an all-black school, then Crispus Attucks, where he performed well in mathematics, music, and sports. Davis had previously attended Catholic school. At an early age he liked music, especially blues, big bands, and gospel. In 1935, Davis received his first trumpet as
3876-453: The Horn (1981), You're Under Arrest (1985) and Tutu (1986). Critics were often unreceptive but the decade garnered Davis his highest level of commercial recognition. He performed sold-out concerts worldwide, while branching out into visual arts, film, and television work, before his death in 1991 from the combined effects of a stroke, pneumonia and respiratory failure . In 2006, Davis
3978-577: The Juilliard School for a Bachelor of Music in trumpet performance, leaving in 1981 without earning a degree. He intended to pursue a career in classical music. In 1980, he toured Europe as a member of the Art Blakey band, becoming a member of The Jazz Messengers and remaining with Blakey until 1982. He changed his mind about his career and turned to jazz. He has said that years of playing with Blakey influenced his decision. He recorded for
4080-595: The Metropolitan Opera. In 2016, its budget was over $ 50 million. Wynton Marsalis has been artistic director since 1987. Greg Scholl became executive director in 2012. Marsalis leads the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra , which performs in the Appel Room and the Rose Theater in addition to extensive international tours. Concerts are also broadcast live online. Educational programs are broadcast on
4182-401: The Metropolitan Opera. Marsalis became artistic director of the center and the musical director of the band, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra . The orchestra performs at its home venue, Rose Hall, goes on tour, visits schools, appears on radio and television, and produces albums through its label, Blue Engine Records. In 2011, Marsalis and rock guitarist Eric Clapton performed together in
Wynton Marsalis - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-719: The Miles Davis Quintet (1961). Each album was critically acclaimed and helped establish Davis's quintet as one of the best. The style of the group was an extension of their experience playing with Davis. He played long, legato, melodic lines, while Coltrane contrasted with energetic solos. Their live repertoire was a mix of bebop, standards from the Great American Songbook and pre-bop eras, and traditional tunes. They appeared on 'Round About Midnight , Davis's first album for Columbia. In 1956, he left his quintet temporarily to tour Europe as part of
4386-539: The Modern Jazz Giants (1959) documented the evolution of his sound with the Harmon mute placed close to the microphone, and the use of more spacious and relaxed phrasing. He assumed a central role in hard bop , less radical in harmony and melody, and used popular songs and American standards as starting points for improvisation. Hard bop distanced itself from cool jazz with a harder beat and music inspired by
4488-581: The US House of Representatives passed a resolution that honored it as a national treasure. In August 1959, during a break in a recording session at the Birdland nightclub in New York City, Davis was escorting a blonde-haired woman to a taxi outside the club when policeman Gerald Kilduff told him to "move on". Davis said that he was working at the club, and he refused to move. Kilduff arrested and grabbed Davis as he tried to protect himself. Witnesses said
4590-648: The Year. In 2017, he was one of the youngest members to be inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame. In 1997, he became the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his oratorio Blood on the Fields . In a note to him, Zarin Mehta wrote, "I was not surprised at your winning the Pulitzer Prize for Blood on the Fields . It is a broad, beautifully painted canvas that impresses and inspires. It speaks to us all...I'm sure that, somewhere in
4692-540: The band completed their sole engagement as the opening band for Count Basie at the Royal Roost for two weeks. Davis had to persuade the venue's manager to write the sign "Miles Davis Nonet. Arrangements by Gil Evans, John Lewis and Gerry Mulligan". Davis returned to Parker's quintet, but relationships within the quintet were growing tense mainly due to Parker's erratic behavior caused by his drug addiction. Early in his time with Parker, Davis abstained from drugs, chose
4794-532: The band either." In January 1944, Davis finished high school and graduated in absentia in June. During the next month, his girlfriend gave birth to a daughter, Cheryl. In July 1944, Billy Eckstine visited St. Louis with a band that included Art Blakey , Dizzy Gillespie , and Charlie Parker . Trumpeter Buddy Anderson was too sick to perform, so Davis was invited to join. He played with the band for two weeks at Club Riviera . After playing with these musicians, he
4896-474: The band's musical director, which involved hiring musicians and scheduling rehearsal. Years later, Davis considered this job one of the most important of his career. Sonny Stitt tried to persuade him to join the Tiny Bradshaw band, which was passing through town, but his mother insisted he finish high school before going on tour. He said later, "I didn't talk to her for two weeks. And I didn't go with
4998-488: The blues. A few critics consider Walkin' (April 1954) the album that created the hard bop genre. Davis gained a reputation for being cold, distant, and easily angered. He wrote that in 1954 Sugar Ray Robinson "was the most important thing in my life besides music", and he adopted Robinson's "arrogant attitude". He showed contempt for critics and the press. Davis had an operation to remove polyps from his larynx in October 1955. The doctors told him to remain silent after
5100-528: The center's YouTube channel. Since 2015, the orchestra's albums have been issued on its own label, Blue Engine Records. The center distributes jazz curriculums to high schools through its Essentially Ellington program. Professional musicians visit schools through the Let Freedom Swing program. The center runs a Middle School Jazz Academy, a High School Jazz Academy, and a Summer Academy, all in New York City, all of them with free tuition. Every year
5202-625: The country. In 1987, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis was involved in starting the Classical Jazz concert series, the first series of jazz concerts at Lincoln Center. In 1996, the Jazz at Lincoln Center organization became a constituent of Lincoln Center next to organizations such as the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera . The budget for Jazz at Lincoln Center was $ 4 million in 1996, compared to $ 150 million for
SECTION 50
#17327796762275304-456: The creation of solos from harmony rather than chords. By May 1958, he had replaced Jones with drummer Jimmy Cobb , and Garland left the group, leaving Davis to play piano on "Sid's Ahead" for Milestones . He wanted someone who could play modal jazz, so he hired Bill Evans , a young pianist with a background in classical music. Evans had an impressionistic approach to piano. His ideas greatly influenced Davis. But after eight months of touring,
5406-483: The earliest hard bop music while on Prestige Records but did so despite a heroin addiction. After a widely acclaimed comeback performance at the Newport Jazz Festival , he signed a long-term contract with Columbia Records , and recorded the album 'Round About Midnight in 1955. It was his first work with saxophonist John Coltrane and bassist Paul Chambers , key members of the sextet he led into
5508-818: The early 1960s. During this period, he alternated between orchestral jazz collaborations with arranger Gil Evans , such as the Spanish music -influenced Sketches of Spain (1960), and band recordings, such as Milestones (1958) and Kind of Blue (1959). The latter recording remains one of the most popular jazz albums of all time, having sold over five million copies in the U.S. Davis made several lineup changes while recording Someday My Prince Will Come (1961), his 1961 Blackhawk concerts , and Seven Steps to Heaven (1963), another commercial success that introduced bassist Ron Carter , pianist Herbie Hancock , and drummer Tony Williams . After adding saxophonist Wayne Shorter to his new quintet in 1964, Davis led them on
5610-410: The end of the tour, he fired Jones and Coltrane and replaced them with Sonny Rollins and Art Taylor . In November 1957, Davis went to Paris and recorded the soundtrack to Ascenseur pour l'échafaud . directed by Louis Malle and starring Jeanne Moreau . Consisting of French jazz musicians Barney Wilen , Pierre Michelot , and René Urtreger , and American drummer Kenny Clarke , the group avoided
5712-575: The firmament, Buddy Bolden , Louis Armstrong and legions of others are smiling down on you." Wynton Marsalis has won the National Medal of Arts , the National Humanities Medal , and been named an NEA Jazz Master . In 2001, he was also named a UN Messenger of Peace . Approximately seven million copies of his recordings have been sold worldwide. He has toured in 30 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. He
5814-645: The first time on April 24, 1945, when he entered the studio as a sideman for Herbie Fields 's band. During the next year, he recorded as a leader for the first time with the Miles Davis Sextet plus Earl Coleman and Ann Baker, one of the few times he accompanied a singer. In 1945, Davis replaced Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker's quintet. On November 26, he participated in several recording sessions as part of Parker's group Reboppers that also involved Gillespie and Max Roach , displaying hints of
5916-516: The first time with Blakey and one year later he went on tour with Herbie Hancock . After signing a contract with Columbia , he recorded his first solo album. In 1982, he established a quintet with his brother Branford Marsalis , Kenny Kirkland , Charnett Moffett , and Jeff "Tain" Watts . When Branford and Kenny Kirkland left three years later to record and tour with Sting , Marsalis formed another quartet, this time with Marcus Roberts on piano, Robert Hurst on double bass, and Watts on drums. After
6018-601: The hands of one his friends, jazz singer Betty Carter . He toured with Eckstine and Billie Holiday and was arrested for heroin possession in Los Angeles. The story was reported in DownBeat magazine, which led to a further reduction in work, though he was acquitted weeks later. By the 1950s, Davis had become more skilled and was experimenting with the middle register of the trumpet alongside harmonies and rhythms. In January 1951, Davis's fortunes improved when he signed
6120-443: The hospital with a liver infection. When he resumed touring, he performed more at colleges because he had grown tired of the typical jazz venues. Columbia president Clive Davis reported in 1966 his sales had declined to around 40,000–50,000 per album, compared to as many as 100,000 per release a few years before. Matters were not helped by the press reporting his apparent financial troubles and imminent demise. After his appearance at
6222-564: The hospital, he discharged himself due to boredom and went home. He returned to the hospital in August after a fall required the insertion of a plastic hip joint. In November 1965, he had recovered enough to return to performing with his quintet, which included gigs at the Plugged Nickel in Chicago. Teo Macero returned as his record producer after their rift over Quiet Nights had healed. In January 1966, Davis spent three months in
SECTION 60
#17327796762276324-496: The incident "changed my whole life and whole attitude again, made me feel bitter and cynical again when I was starting to feel good about the things that had changed in this country". Davis and his sextet toured to support Kind of Blue . He persuaded Coltrane to play with the group on one final European tour in the spring of 1960. Coltrane then departed to form his quartet, though he returned for some tracks on Davis's album Someday My Prince Will Come (1961). Its front cover shows
6426-487: The increasingly virtuoso instrumental techniques that dominated bebop. These gatherings led to the formation of the Miles Davis Nonet , which included atypical modern jazz instruments such as French horn and tuba, leading to a thickly textured, almost orchestral sound. The intent was to imitate the human voice through carefully arranged compositions and a relaxed, melodic approach to improvisation. In September,
6528-468: The jazz musicians couldn't handle the difficult arrangements, but the album was a critical success, selling over 120,000 copies in the US. Davis performed with an orchestra conducted by Evans at Carnegie Hall in May 1961 to raise money for charity. The pair's final album was Quiet Nights (1963), a collection of bossa nova songs released against their wishes. Evans stated it was only half an album and blamed
6630-650: The label. Davis had one year left on his contract with Prestige, which required him to release four more albums. He signed a contract with Columbia that included a $ 4,000 advance (equivalent to $ 45,500 in 2023 ) and required that his recordings for Columbia remain unreleased until his agreement with Prestige expired. At the request of Avakian, he formed the Miles Davis Quintet for a performance at Café Bohemia . The quintet contained Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on double bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Rollins
6732-556: The live albums Miles Davis in Europe (1964), My Funny Valentine (1965), and Four & More (1966). The quintet played essentially the same bebop tunes and standards that Davis's previous bands had played, but they approached them with structural and rhythmic freedom and occasionally breakneck speed. In 1964, Coleman was briefly replaced by saxophonist Sam Rivers (who recorded with Davis on Miles in Tokyo ) until Wayne Shorter
6834-414: The music had been planned around Evans's piano style. Both Davis and Evans were familiar with George Russell 's ideas about modal jazz. But Davis neglected to tell pianist Wynton Kelly that Evans was returning, so Kelly appeared on only one song, " Freddie Freeloader ". The sextet had played " So What " and " All Blues " at performances, but the remaining three compositions they saw for the first time in
6936-601: The new iMac with Front Row, and iPod with Video were introduced. Following this, Marsalis also appeared in an iPod TV ad with his song "Sparks" in 2006. In December 2011, Marsalis was named cultural correspondent for CBS This Morning . He is a member of the CuriosityStream Advisory Board. He serves as director of the Juilliard Jazz Studies program. In 2015, Cornell University appointed him A.D. White Professor-at-Large. Marsalis
7038-448: The new music became known as "time no changes"—which referred to Davis's decision to depart from chordal sequences and adopt a more open approach, with the rhythm section responding to the soloists' melodies. Through Nefertiti the studio recordings consisted primarily of originals composed by Shorter, with occasional compositions by the other sidemen. In 1967, the group began to play their concerts in continuous sets, each tune flowing into
7140-407: The next, with only the melody indicating any sort of change. His bands performed this way until his hiatus in 1975. Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro —which tentatively introduced electric bass, electric piano, and electric guitar on some tracks—pointed the way to the fusion phase of Davis's career. He also began experimenting with more rock-oriented rhythms on these records. By the time
7242-451: The operation, but he got into an argument that permanently damaged his vocal cords and gave him a raspy voice for the rest of his life. He was called the "prince of darkness", adding a patina of mystery to his public persona. In July 1955, Davis's fortunes improved considerably when he played at the Newport Jazz Festival , with a lineup of Monk, Heath, drummer Connie Kay , and horn players Zoot Sims and Gerry Mulligan . The performance
7344-515: The orchestra tours and visits schools throughout the U.S. The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival takes place every year at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The performing arts complex, Frederick P. Rose Hall, was designed by Rafael Viñoly and is located on the fifth floor of Deutsche Bank Center (originally Time Warner Center). Rose Hall consists of three venues: Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy's Club, named after trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie . The Hall also contains
7446-574: The organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center (now Deutsche Bank Center ) in October 2004. Wynton Marsalis is the artistic director and the leader of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra . The center hosts performances by the orchestra and by visiting musicians. It is home to the New York City Opera . Many concerts are streamed live on the center's YouTube channel. The center also presents educational programs in its home buildings, online, and in schools throughout
7548-587: The original instruments used in jazz and eschewed electronica that gained prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. In The Jazz Book , the authors list what Marsalis considers to be the fundamentals of jazz: blues, standards, a swing beat, tonality, harmony, craftsmanship, and mastery of the tradition beginning with New Orleans jazz up to Ornette Coleman . Jazz critic Scott Yanow regards Marsalis as talented but criticizes his "selective knowledge of jazz history" and has said Marsalis considers "post-1965 avant-garde playing to be outside of jazz and 1970s fusion to be barren" and
7650-404: The policeman hit Davis in the stomach with a nightstick without provocation. Two detectives held the crowd back, while a third approached Davis from behind and beat him over the head. Davis was taken to jail, charged with assaulting an officer, then taken to the hospital where he received five stitches. By January 1960, he was acquitted of disorderly conduct and third-degree assault. He later stated
7752-506: The record company; Davis blamed producer Teo Macero and refused to speak to him for more than two years. The boxed set Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (1996) won the Grammy Award for Best Historical Album and Best Album Notes in 1997. In March and April 1959, Davis recorded what some consider his greatest album, Kind of Blue . He named the album for its mood. He called back Bill Evans, as
7854-570: The second half of Filles de Kilimanjaro was recorded, bassist Dave Holland and pianist Chick Corea had replaced Carter and Hancock. Davis soon took over the compositional duties of his sidemen. In a Silent Way was recorded in a single studio session in February 1969, with Shorter, Hancock, Holland, and Williams alongside keyboardists Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul and guitarist John McLaughlin . The album contains two side-long tracks that Macero pieced together from different takes recorded at
7956-481: The session. When the album was released later that year, some critics accused him of "selling out" to the rock and roll audience. Nevertheless, it reached number 134 on the US Billboard Top LPs chart, his first album since My Funny Valentine to reach the chart. In a Silent Way was his entry into jazz fusion. The touring band of 1969–1970—with Shorter, Corea, Holland, and DeJohnette—never completed
8058-778: The story of the festival . The French Ministry of Culture gave him the rank of Knight in the Order of Arts and Literature. In 2008, he received France's highest distinction, the insignia Chevalier of the Legion of Honour . In 2023, he won the Praemium Imperiale . He has received honorary degrees from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami (1994), University of Scranton (1996), Kenyon College (2019), New York University , Columbia, Connecticut College, Harvard , Howard , Northwestern , Princeton , Vermont,
8160-500: The studio. Released in August 1959, Kind of Blue was an instant success, with widespread radio airplay and rave reviews from critics. It has remained a strong seller over the years. In 2019, the album achieved 5× platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over five million copies in the US, making it one of the most successful jazz albums in history. In 2009,
8262-562: The style he would become known for. On Parker's tune " Now's the Time ", Davis played a solo that anticipated cool jazz . He next joined a big band led by Benny Carter , performing in St. Louis and remaining with the band in California. He again played with Parker and Gillespie. In Los Angeles, Parker had a nervous breakdown that put him in the hospital for several months. In March 1946, Davis played in studio sessions with Parker and began
8364-645: The time, yet Davis rebuffed their criticisms. Recording sessions with the nonet for Capitol continued until April 1950. The Nonet recorded a dozen tracks which were released as singles and subsequently compiled on the 1957 album Birth of the Cool . In May 1949, Davis performed with the Tadd Dameron Quintet with Kenny Clarke and James Moody at the Paris International Jazz Festival . On his first trip abroad Davis took
8466-453: The trumpet in his early teens. He left to study at Juilliard 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. Shortly after, he recorded the Birth of the Cool sessions for Capitol Records , which were instrumental to the development of cool jazz . In the early 1950s, Davis recorded some of
8568-426: The unfortunate result of the "somewhat eccentric beliefs of Stanley Crouch ". In The New York Times in 1997, pianist Keith Jarrett said Marsalis "imitates other people's styles too well ... His music sounds like a high school trumpet player to me". Bassist Stanley Clarke said, "All the guys that are criticizing—like Wynton Marsalis and those guys—I would hate to be around to hear those guys playing on top of
8670-604: The world's view of the Afro American in a decidedly negative direction." Marsalis responded to criticism by saying, "You can't enter a battle and expect not to get hurt." He has said that losing the freedom to criticize is "to accept mob rule, it is a step back towards slavery." Marsalis is the son of the late jazz musician Ellis Marsalis Jr. (pianist), grandson of Ellis Marsalis Sr. , and brother of Branford (saxophonist), Delfeayo (trombonist and producer), and Jason (drummer). Marsalis's son, Jasper Armstrong Marsalis,
8772-426: The year and included tuba player Bill Barber , alto saxophonist Lee Konitz , pianist Al Haig , trombone players Mike Zwerin with Kai Winding , French horn players Junior Collins with Sandy Siegelstein and Gunther Schuller , and bassists Al McKibbon and Joe Shulman . One track featured singer Kenny Hagood . The presence of white musicians in the group angered some black players, many of whom were unemployed at
8874-543: Was also "pimping a little". However, he was able to end his addiction, and, in February 1954, Davis returned to New York City, feeling good "for the first time in a long time", mentally and physically stronger, and joined a gym. He informed Weinstock and Blue Note that he was ready to record with a quintet, which he was granted. He considered the albums that resulted from these and earlier sessions – Miles Davis Quartet and Miles Davis Volume 2 – "very important" because he felt his performances were particularly strong. He
8976-537: Was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music . Davis adopted a variety of musical directions in a roughly five-decade career that kept him at the forefront of many major stylistic developments in jazz. Born into an upper-middle-class family in Alton, Illinois , and raised in East St. Louis , Davis started on
9078-457: Was born on May 26, 1926, to an affluent African-American family in Alton , Illinois, 15 miles (24 kilometres) north of St. Louis . He had an older sister, Dorothy Mae (1925–1996) and a younger brother, Vernon (1929–1999). His mother, Cleota Mae Henry of Arkansas , was a music teacher and violinist, and his father, Miles Dewey Davis Jr. , also of Arkansas, was a dentist. They owned a 200-acre (81 ha) estate near Pine Bluff , Arkansas, with
9180-453: Was certain he should move to New York City, "where the action was". His mother wanted him to go to Fisk University, like his sister, and study piano or violin. Davis had other interests. In September 1944, Davis accepted his father's idea of studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. After passing the audition, he attended classes in music theory, piano and dictation. Davis often skipped his classes. Much of Davis's time
9282-404: Was discriminated against in these competitions due to his race, but he added that these experiences made him a better musician. When a drummer asked him to play a certain passage of music, and he couldn't do it, he began to learn music theory . "I went and got everything, every book I could get to learn about theory." At Lincoln, Davis met his first girlfriend, Irene Birth (later Cawthon). He had
9384-459: Was falling behind in hotel rent and attempts were made to repossess his car. His heroin use became an expensive addiction, and Davis, not yet 24 years old, "lost my sense of discipline, lost my sense of control over my life, and started to drift". In August 1950, Cawthon gave birth to Davis's second son, Miles IV. Davis befriended boxer Johnny Bratton which began his interest in the sport. Davis left Cawthon and his three children in New York City in
9486-826: Was given the Louis Armstrong Memorial Medal and the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts. He was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement and was dubbed an Honorary Dreamer by the I Have a Dream Foundation. The New York Urban League awarded Marsalis the Frederick Douglass Medallion for distinguished leadership. The American Arts Council presented him with the Arts Education Award. He won
9588-452: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , which recognized him as "one of the key figures in the history of jazz". Rolling Stone described him as "the most revered jazz trumpeter of all time, not to mention one of the most important musicians of the 20th century," while Gerald Early called him inarguably one of the most influential and innovative musicians of that period. Davis
9690-559: Was involved in writing, arranging, and performing music for the 2019 Daniel Pritzker film Bolden . In addition to Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marsalis has also worked with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a composer for modern classical music. The orchestra premiered a Violin Concerto he composed in 2015, and a Tuba Concerto of his in 2021. Marsalis is generally associated with straight-ahead jazz , jazz that kept to
9792-478: Was paid roughly $ 750 (equivalent to $ 8,500 in 2023 ) for each album and refused to give away his publishing rights. Davis abandoned the bebop style and turned to the music of pianist Ahmad Jamal , whose approach and use of space influenced him. When he returned to the studio in June 1955 to record The Musings of Miles , he wanted a pianist like Jamal and chose Red Garland . Blue Haze (1956), Bags' Groove (1957), Walkin' (1957), and Miles Davis and
9894-698: Was persuaded to leave the Jazz Messengers . The quintet with Shorter lasted through 1968, with Shorter becoming the group's principal composer. The album E.S.P. (1965) was named after his composition. While touring Europe, the group made its first album, Miles in Berlin (1965). Davis needed medical attention for hip pain, which had worsened since his Japanese tour during the previous year. He underwent hip replacement surgery in April 1965, with bone taken from his shin, but it failed. After his third month in
9996-420: Was praised by critics and audiences alike, who considered it to be a highlight of the festival as well as helping Davis, the least well known musician in the group, to increase his popularity among affluent white audiences. He tied with Dizzy Gillespie for best trumpeter in the 1955 DownBeat magazine Readers' Poll. George Avakian of Columbia Records heard Davis perform at Newport and wanted to sign him to
10098-507: Was released on The New Sounds (1951), Dig (1956), and Conception (1956). Davis supported his heroin habit by playing music and by living the life of a hustler, exploiting prostitutes, and receiving money from friends. By 1953, his addiction began to impair his playing. His drug habit became public in a DownBeat interview with Cab Calloway , whom he never forgave as it brought him "all pain and suffering". He returned to St. Louis and stayed with his father for several months. After
10200-412: Was replaced by John Coltrane , completing the membership of the first quintet. To fulfill Davis' contract with Prestige, this new group worked through two marathon sessions in May and October 1956 that were released by the label as four LPs: Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1957), Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1958), Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1960) and Steamin' with
10302-694: Was six, he did not practice much until he was 12. He attended Benjamin Franklin High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts . He studied classical music at school and jazz at home with his father. He played in funk bands and a marching band led by Danny Barker . He performed on trumpet publicly as the only black musician in the New Orleans Civic Orchestra. After winning a music contest at fourteen, he performed Joseph Haydn's trumpet concerto with
10404-555: Was spent in clubs seeking his idol, Charlie Parker. According to Davis, Coleman Hawkins told him "finish your studies at Juilliard and forget Bird [Parker]". After finding Parker, he joined a cadre of regulars at Minton's and Monroe's in Harlem who held jam sessions every night. The other regulars included J. J. Johnson , Kenny Clarke , Thelonious Monk , Fats Navarro , and Freddie Webster . Davis reunited with Cawthon and their daughter when they moved to New York City. Parker became
#226773