Miles Davis (1926–1991) was a key figure in 20th-century music—a trumpeter, bandleader, and composer whose constant reinvention changed jazz’s course over five decades. Born in Alton, Illinois, and raised in East St. Louis, he began playing the trumpet as a teenager, developing a signature warm, vibrato-free tone that set him apart.
Moving to New York in 1944 to study at the Institute of Musical Art (now Juilliard), he immersed himself in the bebop scene, performing and recording with Charlie Parker from 1945 to 1948. These formative years placed him at the heart of jazz’s most intense period of innovation.
By 1949, Davis was already innovating with his ‘Birth of the Cool’ nonet, which introduced a spacious, orchestral style that became central to cool jazz. His 1950s and early ’60s groups, featuring legends like John Coltrane and Red Garland, produced classics such as Milestones (1958) and the iconic Kind of Blue (1959), which remains one of the best-selling and most influential jazz albums ever.
Davis refused to stand still, constantly pushing jazz into new territories with electric instruments and rock rhythms on albums like In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, inspiring admiration for his innovation.