Book description
Miles Davis (1926-91) was one of the great jazz musicians,
bandleaders and composers. His recordings include several of the most
acclaimed and popular jazz album, from the relaxed style of Birth of
the Cool to the orchestral Sketches of Spain and the iconic Kind of
Blue. And he never ceased to innovate. As the 1960s moved into the
1970s, he developed a darker, more complex sound and began
increasingly to use electric instruments. The crowning achievement of
his experiments, Bitches Brew (1969), became the bestselling jazz
album of all time. In this biography, noted jazz critic Brian Morton
takes us through the musical history of this remarkable and
influential artist and illuminates the personality behind the sound.
'A compelling few hours' reading for anyone with an interest in
20th-century music.' Kenneth Clarke, The Daily Mail. Brian Morton was
an academic, THES literary editor and broadcaster. He has published
fiction, music and literary criticism, and is a regular columnist for
the Sunday Herald, Financial Times and Scotsman. As a saxophonist and
composer, he was the co-leader of the musical ensemble 'The Golden
Horde', and has composed jazz and musical theatre pieces. His Penguin
Guide to Jazz on CD (co-written with Richard Cook) is the essential
reference work on recorded jazz.
