The Enthralling Life of Miles Davis

book cover of Miles: The Autobiography by Miles Davis with Quincy TroupeMiles: The Autobiography by Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe is a book detailing the trials and tribulations of Miles’s life. It begins with him as a child and his earliest experiences with music. He was raised in a five-person household consisting of an older brother, an older sister, his mother, father, and of course himself. His father was a dentist while his mother was a classically trained pianist. Initially, Miles played the drums in his elementary school band; he transitioned to trumpet in the fifth grade. He took lessons with Elwood Buchanan until he moved to New York to attend Julliard. He dropped out due to Julliard’s program having a focus on classical music instead of jazz. He gigged all throughout Manhattan playing shows with various acclaimed artists such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Paul Chamber, and Philly Joe Jones. Following his initial stint in New York, he moved to Paris and began transiting his music to a large ensemble contemporary style music (which was a large contrast from the 250bpm bebop tunes he was known for at the time). He returned in mid-1949. In 1959, Miles would realize the critically acclaimed Kind of Blue. This album revolutionized the jazz scene and remains the highest-grossing jazz album of all time. He continued to remain on the cusp of innovation in the jazz scene with Grammy-award-winning albums such as Bitches Brew and Tito. He eventually died in 1991 in Santa Monica.

The book served to spotlight the complex underbelly of the jazz scene through Miles’s point of view. Rampant drug abuse, unprofessionalism, and racism plagued the scene all through the inception of jazz. Miles suffered from a severe heroin and cocaine addiction. Like many others, it affected his playing and others’ willingness to work with him. Colleagues of Miles died early from drug abuse, and he did not want to end up like them. He was thrown in jail and forced to get clean by going cold turkey. Unfortunately, it was also quite common to unexpectedly have kids with people and not take care of them. Jazz legends lived a “rockstar” life that ended up being the downfall for many. It serves as a cautionary tale to be careful of the people and activities you take part in.

This book gave me a deeper understanding of the world of jazz. It changed how I perceived the greats who laid the foundation for the music industry that I love. It inspired me to be cautious of the things I do to my body and how I handle my music. In the end, my perspective of the world of jazz at that time shifted. It made aware of some the unfortunate realities that are suffered. Fortunately, my experience has differed from those who grew up in 1940–1960 New York. The scene has changed, and I look forward to continuing my journey in it.


Get the book! Check out Miles: The Autobiography by Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe at BMCC’s Library (in print or online), the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, or the Queens Public Library.

About the author This review is by Malcolm Best.

Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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