The central theme of Miles Davis’ life, and of this film is Davis’ restless determination to break boundaries and live life on his own terms.
I admit it! I didn’t grow up listening to jazz nor did my parents, it was Motown all day every day in my house so I never had the opportunity to appear cool by bragging about having a Miles Davis album. After watching this documentary I can now at least do a little of bragging about his early years and how it all began, where he got his inspiration and how he became one of the coolest jazz musicians ever.
This documentary follows the life of legendary jazz musician Miles Davis through his early years as a teenager obsessed with music, the pivotal of his success, personal setbacks, and the final days. Raised in East St. Louis by a prominent family, his mother wanted him to play the violin but his father insisted on the trumpet and bought him one for his 13th birthday. He became obsessed with music, stating that it came before everything. It was the only thing he thought about before he went to bed, and the only thing he thought about when he woke up. Still just a teenager, he became the musical director of a dance band and after meeting Dizzy Gillespie at 18, he decided to go to New York City where he enrolled into Julliard to become properly trained.
In the late ’40s, 52nd Street was considered the mecca of jazz and many musicians, including Miles, would play the lounges at night. He took his first trip outside the United States to play in Paris and described being treated like royalty. When he returned home, he realized that racism was more blatant. Shortly after, he fell into a deep depression which led to alcohol and heroin use. After recovering, he went back to music and ended up playing an extraordinary ballot in front of executives which led him getting the attention of Columbia Records, which was one of the biggest labels at the time.
His music was considered romantic, elegant, vulnerable, surprisingly a side many never saw in him. Miles was described as cold, eccentric, bold, direct, and what others would say was “anti-social,” not wanting to be in the company of many. He put a lot of effort into his appearance always showing up sharp in custom suits. Even his unique tone of voice which came about after throat surgery that he didn’t allow to properly healing, permanently left him with a deep raspy tone, creating a mysterious cool vibe everyone aspired to have.
Miles was recognized everywhere and he was not just performing live but he began recording soundtracks for movies as well. He became the epitome of success, driving expensive cars and showing off his luxurious clothes. During the ’60s funk and rock started becoming more popular and the level of jazz popularity was slowing down. Because of this, Miles began changing his music to fit the times, seeking inspiration in other areas such as film and other cultures, his song titled ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’ was actually inspired by Disney. He also became drawn to flamenco after visiting Barcelona with his wife, and eventually incorporated it into his music, which I thought sounded fabulous by the way.
I can’t go on about his success without mentioning his struggles with drugs and alcohol, which increased and was the main reason for his domestic abuse and failed relationships. The truth is, he was said to be dark, intense and very controlling in private. He was married numerous times, in addition to having children by his high school girlfriend, which he left early on for his music. Like the majority of us, he was not perfect. He had demons brewing from his childhood that shaped his life. He was a complicated but a uniquely gifted man who brought the world some of the best music they have ever heard. It remains today that his album ‘Some Kind of Blue,’ is the best-selling jazz record of all time. This is one of the most well-constructed documentaries I’ve seen on any musician and it is rare for me to see a film twice, but I will probably see this one again.
Now playing in select theaters
