Miles davis book biography

Miles: The Autobiography

1989 book by Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe

Miles: The Autobiography is the autobiography of American jazz musician Miles Davis. First published in 1989, the book was written by Davis with poet and journalist Quincy Troupe.

Background

In 1985, Spin magazine hired Troupe to write an exclusive two-part interview with Miles Davis. The interview was published in the November 1985 and December 1985 issues of Spin. Davis showed great appreciation for Troupe's work, and Troupe was later contacted by Simon & Schuster to sign on as co-author for Davis's autobiography.

Reception

Publishers Weekly wrote, "On almost any score, this is a remarkable book."

Writing for The Atlantic, Francis Davis felt that "the book is so successful in capturing Davis's voice", but nonetheless criticized Davis as being "peacock vain" and criticizing his "contemptible" treatment of women.

It won an American Book Award in 1990.

The audiobook version, narrated by LeVar Burton, was nominated for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards.

References

^Troupe, Quincy (September 28, 2019). "Miles Davis: Our 1985 Interview". Spin. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
^Troupe, Quincy (September 28, 2019). "Miles Davis: Our 1985 Interview, Part 2". Spin. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
^Troupe, Quincy (March 8, 2000). Miles and Me. University of California Press. p. 39. ISBN .
^"Nonfiction Book Review: Miles, the Autobiography by Miles Davis, Author, Quincy Troupe". Publishers Weekly. September 1, 1989. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
^Davis, Francis (January 1990). "The Book on Miles". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
^[1]Archived November 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^"General Categories". Los Angeles Times. January 7, 1994. Retrieved February 19, 2023.

Miles: The Autobiography

April 4, 2016

Sitting across from me he continues telling me about his life. I don’t particularly like him or find him interesting, at least not as interesting as he finds himself. Laying a line of cocaine on the tabletop, he snorts it then orders another drink. There is one exception which has and still runs through our conversation. His life is lived not only for creativity but for reaching, for further and new means of reaching. This is the experience which provides the meaning in his life. I’m coming to see that it is his life.

His early years he told me, reluctant at first, in East St. Luis he mostly played his trumpet. Sleight of build he didn’t roam the streets looking for fights. His father was a dentist and for that neighborhood they had enough money. It wasn’t socioeconomic or some determination of will. He described it, palms flat on the table, as a following of his nature.

I admire the sheer immersion in his music played through his trumpet and the ongoing composition of melodies and themes flooding his mind. Trying to explain to him while refusing a hit of the coke, that I’m unschooled in music and that personally I have no hint of a talent. What though has struck me, I try to explain as he downs his drink with a small pill, is the phrase he used two minutes ago, that he plays, Sheets Of Music. Rather than labeling what it is he wants people to hear through some form of instrumentation he creates an unwinding tone, sheets, where the listener experiences a feeling which has no words. I try to compare it to writing but it isn’t quite the same, writing not quite as direct.

People drift to our table embedded in the dark of a corner wanting his autograph, a photo to be taken with him. I’m supposed to take the picture but explain I don’t know how to work it. They take their camera and leave. He nods a thanks. I explain that I was telling the truth. Others still gather, hover, and he coldly ignores them until they scatter and are

Miles davis biography

Miles davis autobiography review

A Miles Davis Library

A new series in which I look at the books that include references to Miles’s 1980s music. I thought I’d start with five excellent books. More titles will be included in future updates. You can also see Part 2 of my Miles book reviews, Part 3 of my Miles Book Reviews and Part 4 of my Miles Book Reviews, as well as a review of No Picture! by Shigeru Uchiyama.

Vincent Bessieres and Franck Bergerot: We Want Miles – Miles Davis Vs. Jazz (2010)

This book is companion to a terrific Miles Davis exhibition held in Paris in 2009 and Montreal, in 2010. This book differs from the Paris version in being a hardback with English text. There are essays covering all of Miles’s musical periods, from his early days in St Louis to his final years in 1980-1991 (the last chapter is called “Star People: Global Icon”). The text is very informative (there are also essays from guest contributors including, saxophonist Dave Liebman), but what really takes your breath away is the sheer number of amazing photos, many of them published for the first time. The photographers include Teppei Inokuchi, who was a friend of Miles. Of particular interest are his shots of Miles rehearsing at home with his comeback 1980s band, and Miles recording during the Tutu sessions.

Verdict: A fantastic book that all Miles fans should get their hands on. These books tend to go out of print fairly quickly, so don’t delay in getting hold of your copy!

Availability: In print and available from Amazon UK and Amazon USA.

Ian Carr: Miles Davis – The Definitive Biography (1998)

For me, this is the best all-round book on Miles Davis, combining a well-researched biography with excellent musical analysis. No surprise really, as Ian Carr is a noted jazz trumpeter, writer, teacher and broadcaster. In 1982, Ian published Miles Davis – A Critical Biography, just at the point when Miles was returning to the music scene. Hence this radically updated version

Miles davis style

Miles Davis