Ticket to Miles Davis Concert
Subject
Miles Davis
(American, 1926 - 1991)
Date1981
ClassificationsHistory
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/8 x 4 3/8 in. (3.5 x 11.1 cm)
DescriptionTicket from a Miles Davis Kix Live-Concert Club performance on June 28, 1981 at Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. The ticket with orange background, numbered 00310 with black text.Miles Davis (1926-1991) was an American jazz trumpeter and one of the most acclaimed jazz musicians of the 20th century. Davis was often at the forefront of jazz innovation, with his 1959 album Kind of Blue often considered one of the greatest recordings of all time.
Miles Davis was raised in East St. Louis, Illinois, where he was introduced to music at an early age. In 1935, Davis received his first trumpet and became taking music lessons. By high school, Davis was performing in clubs around St. Louis. In 1944, Davis moved to New York City to attend the Julliard School of Music. Davis was enrolled at Julliard for three semesters, but mainly spent his time playing in many of New York's jazz clubs. Davis sought out, and performed with, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk, and Lockjaw Davis.
In 1945, Davis became a member of Charlie Parker's quintet, replacing Dizzy Gillespie. He then went on to perform with Charles Mingus, Billy Eckstine, and Gillespie. Davis then formed his own band, a nine-piece orchestra, whose 1949-1950 recordings were important to the evolution of "cool" or west coat jazz and were later released as a compilation album, The Birth of Cool (1957).
The 1950s were a period of flux for Davis. He developed a heroin addiction, which effected his playing and forced him to leave New York. He had brief stints in St. Louis and Detroit before returning to New York City for the latter half of the decade, where his sound continued to evolve into "hard bop." In 1955, Davis appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival where his critically-acclaimed performance helped increase his popularity. Davis' supporting lineup changed throughout the second half of the decade, settling with a sextet of Davis, saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianist Bill Evans, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. This group recorded Kind of Blue in 1959, one of the most popular jazz albums of all time, and continued to tour into 1960.
Davis later ventured into new musical styles, including a period of electric music which produced his 1970 album Bitches Brew. His drug and alcohol abuse led to a hiatus from music from 1975-1980. He returned to the studio in the 1980s, capped by an appearance at the 1984 Montreux Jazz Festival. In his final years, he continued recording and making live appearances, including his final live performance at the Hollywood Bowl on August 25, 1991. Davis died on September 28, 1991.
Davis' legacy as a pioneering jazz musician was shown through the various accolades he received during and after his life. He won eight Grammy Awards (of 32 nominations), and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Kind of Blue was certified as quintuple platinum in 2019, with over 5,000,000 album sales.
