Miles: Autobiography With Quincy Troupe

Miles: Autobiography with Quincy Troupe

In this essay I will condense Miles:The Autobiography by Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe.

The autobiography of Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis shares significant experiences in his life. Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois and he also was named after his father, being called Junior throughout his life. He tells what happened when he saw Charlie “Bird” Parker and Dizzy Guilipsee in a St. Louis nightclub playing Post-World War II style of Jazz bebop. Davis was amazed bight the revolutionary sounds of Parker and Gillespie, progressing from the ‘swing’ style of Jazz that came Pre-World War II. The bebop era and Charlie Parker would set the blueprint for Davis and others in the genre. With

Davis in the 1940’s would try to create a more subdued style of Jazz. Davis wanted to cut the notes in half that Parker was playing. Davis would detail the stories of the creative process’ of making some of his ‘cool’ jazz style records such as his collaborations with Gil Evans and the release of 1957 “Birth of the Cool” album. “Walken” which would be very ‘funky’ and would take influences from the St. Louis ‘ragtime’ artists that came before. 1959 “Kind of Blue” and 1958 “Milestones” albums would be his pinnacle modal jazz albums which were actually influenced by the 1953 book “Lydian Chromatic Concepts of Tonal Organization”. 1969 “In A Silent Way” and 1970 “Bitches Brew” that would be influenced by the ‘funky’ styles of play that where getting very popular and he also switched over to electric instruments. Davis throughout his was always trying at the newest cultural zeitgeist in popular music. Davis even recorded a hip hop album in 1992 with rapper Easy Mo Bee, this album is unanimously amongst music publications as Davis’ worst album. In the late 60’s and 70’s Davis would decide to start playing with rock bands. From 1970 to 1980 was engulfed in a Rock & Roll lifestyle of sex and drugs, he was level with his way of living prior. Davis was playing in nightclubs that were exposed nightly to drugs and prostitution. Davis had to fire John Coltrane for his stints with drugs. In the 70’s