At last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Stanley Nelson’s film Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool had its world premiere. You might be thinking, another documentary on Miles Davis? Even Glen Kenny in the New York Times said, “The number of documentaries exclusively devoted to, or featuring, Miles Davis is not quite sufficient to constitute a subgenre. But it’s getting close.” He did go on to say that Nelson’s film is “commendably thorough.”
You’ll have a chance to see for yourself when PBS stations around the country air Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool as part of American Masters on Tuesday, February 25th.
Amongst the many collaborators, historians and family members talking about the legendary musician are Quincy Jones, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Ron Carter, son Erin Davis and ex-wife Frances Taylor.
Nelson’s film, which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Music Film, utilizes actor Carl Lumbly to speak for Davis in the narrated portions of the film. While the film celebrates the work of this legend, it does not shy away from other aspects of his personality that aren’t so glamorous.
As Nelson says about Davis in a press release about his film, “An elegant man who could render ballads with such tenderness yet hold rage in his heart from the racism he faced throughout his life. He could be romantic and pursue women relentlessly, yet treat them with cruelty upon winning them over. He could be extremely generous, yet rescind that generosity on a whim.”
For any fan of Miles Davis, this will be essential viewing. For those who only know the name and not the man or his music, I strongly recommend you check out Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool on PBS this week.
Photo of Miles Davis Courtesy of Photographer Hank Parker/Sony Music Archives
