The Miles Davis Story (2002)

Trumpeter-bandleader Miles Davis (1926-91) was a catalyst for the major innovations in post-bop, cool jazz, hard-bop, and jazz-fusion, and his wispy and emotional trumpet tones were some of the most evocative sounds ever heard. He was also one of the most identifiable and misunderstood pop icons of the 20th century. This engrossing British documentary shows the complex layers of this magnificent and mercurial artist. Through rare footage and interviews, we learn of Davis's middle-class upbringing and his early days with bop legends Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. The documentary bluntly deals with Davis's narcotic nadir and his rise from the depths to become a bona fide jazz icon in the mid-'50s to late '60s. But the most penetrating and poignant portraits of Davis come from musicians who played with and were influenced by him, including Shirley Horn, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, and Keith Jarrett.

Outstanding musical selections include modal masterpieces "So What" and "Blue in Green," the haunting soundtrack to the 1957 French film Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, his romantic rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," and his collaborations with arranger Gil Evans. The most surprising aspects of Davis's personality that emerge from this film are his shyness, vulnerability, and, yes, humility. As he said himself, "Don't call me a legend. Call me Miles Davis." --Eugene Holley Jr. Amazon.com

MILES DAVIS:A LEGENT,BUT LOST:

Outstanding movie of a jazz musician who fell to the waste side,but rebound to be a GREAT JAZZ LEGENT. September 7, 2008

Great DVD

Everything I wanted to know about Miles Davis as a musician and as a person. Great DVD! April 19, 2008

MILES AHEAD OF THE REST

I really enjoyed watching this documentary on Miles. It gave me more insight on the man and his love of music. Very eccentric, sometimes mean.Probably misunderstood but it all envelopes him and made him the man he became. Anyone that loved Miles Davis this is a must buy to get a better understanding of why he would play live shows with his back to the audience. Clever he is in my opinion. What also blew me away is how he worked with most of the modern jazz musicians we see today such as, Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Chick Correa, Keith Jarrett, the list goes on. Miles never ending struggle to reach new boundaries with his horn is inspiring. Miles, a true musician that never wanted be pigeon-holed in one style or genre of music. February 15, 2008

More music would be nice.

This is a fine biography, but like most biographys of artists it has too little of the artists work and too much focus on the people around the artist.
And in the "You can't depend on Google" department, the song "Time After Time" that Miles recorded is credited in the Amazon review to Cyndi Lauper. She did write a song with that title, but "Time After Time" is a jazz standard written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne that first appeared in the 1947 movie "It Happened in Brooklyn", long before Ms Lauper was born.


May 26, 2007

The Man and very little horn

Rather than focus on what it is not I prefer to focus on what it is; a documentary that utilizes people from Miles Davis life and Miles himself to comment on his eclectic life. I for one found it interesting to hear his ex-wives and fellow musicians making commentary on the lives and times of Miles. It is pretty funny listening to everyone tell stories in mock wispy Miles voice; it seems as though everyone tries to imitate his throat box whisper. The sequence of events are interesting as everyone recalls what he was like at a given point in time. Most interesting of all is Miles telling his own story as he tells little stories about different parts of his life.It is a shame there is not more music but when there is it is amazing. It is especially amazing to see the events of his life unfold in conjunction with the music. The various phases of his life are covered in depth and the pace is fast enough to keep you invloved throughout the disc. The narrative speakover is typical of documentaries in that it grabs you and demands you to pay attention. The musical snippets are brief but the story is well told. The concert material is worthwhile although not nearly long enough. The fusion period is very captivating both as a story and as performance.If you are into Miles Davis you will like having this added to your collection. It is a part of the total picture that will help make your collection complete. February 27, 2007

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