Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, studio outtakes and rare photos, this film tells the story of a truly singular talent and unpacks the music and the myth of the man behind the horn.
Miles Davis - horn player, bandleader, innovator. Elegant, intellectual, vain. Callous, conflicted, controversial. Magnificent, mercurial. Genius. The very embodiment of cool. The man with a sound so beautiful it could break your heart.
The central theme of Miles Davis's life was his restless determination to break boundaries and live life on his own terms. It made him a star. It also made him incredibly difficult to live with for the people who loved him most. Again and again, in music and in life, Miles broke with convention - and when he thought his work came to represent a new convention, he changed it again. Miles's bold disregard for tradition, his clarity of vision, his relentless drive and constant thirst for new experiences made him an inspiring collaborator to fellow musicians and a cultural icon to generations of listeners. It made him an innovator in music - from bebop to cool jazz, modern quintets, orchestral music, jazz fusion, rock 鈥榥鈥� roll and even hip-hop.
Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, studio outtakes and rare photos, this film tells the story of a truly singular talent and unpacks the music and the myth of the man behind the horn.
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
![]()
00:02Miles Davis Quintet
Paraphernalia
-
![]()
00:07Miles Davis, Charlie Parker All Stars, Charlie Parker & His All-Stars
Donna Lee (Album Version)
-
![]()
00:11Charlie Parker Quintet
Dewey Square
-
![]()
00:12Miles Davis
Boplicity
-
![]()
00:13Miles Davis
Moon Dreams
-
![]()
00:14Miles Davis
Move
-
![]()
00:15Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Tadd Dameron Quintet
Rifftide (Album Version)
-
![]()
00:21Miles Davis
White
-
![]()
00:24Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis
'Round Midnight (Live At The Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Ri - July 1955)
-
![]()
00:26Miles Davis Quintet
It Never Entered My Mind
-
![]()
00:30Miles Davis
Stella By Starlight (Album Version)
-
![]()
00:31Miles Davis Quintet
If I Were A Bell
-
![]()
00:35Miles Davis Quintet
You're My Everything
-
![]()
00:37Miles Davis Quintet
Tune Up/When Lights Are Low
-
![]()
00:37Miles Davis
Chez Le Photographe
-
![]()
00:39Miles Davis
Generique
-
![]()
00:40Miles Davis
Au Bar Du Petit Bac (Mono Version)
-
![]()
00:41Miles Davis Sextet
So What - Original
-
![]()
00:46Miles Davis Sextet
On Green Dolphin Street
-
![]()
00:52Miles Davis
Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio) (Master)
-
![]()
00:55Miles Davis
Agitation
-
![]()
00:57Miles Davis
Blue In Green
-
![]()
01:01Gil Evans, Miles Davis
Saeta
-
![]()
01:03Adriana Caselotti
Some Day My Prince Will Come
-
![]()
01:05Tucker Smith, Unknown Ensemble
Cool
-
![]()
01:18Miles Davis
Footprints (Master Take)
-
![]()
01:20The Bar鈥怟ays
Coldblooded
-
![]()
01:23Miles Davis
Stuff (Album Version)
-
![]()
01:29Miles Davis
Black Satin
-
![]()
01:02Miles Davis, Gil Evans
The Pan Piper (Album Version)
-
![]()
01:31Miles Davis Group
Spanish Key
-
![]()
01:44Miles Davis
Perfect Way
-
![]()
01:48Miles Davis
Solea
Music Arranger: Gil Evans. -
![]()
01:50Miles Davis Sextet
Flamenco Sketches
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Director | Stanley Nelson |
| Featured Artist | Miles Davis |
| Producer | Nicole London |
Broadcasts
Featured in...
![]()
Rhythm & Blues
An engaging style of music with soulful singing, a strong backbeat, and smooth melodies.
![]()
Music Icons
Tune in and explore the world's best musicians
![]()
Music Through The Decades
Tracing the history of popular music through its formative decades.
![]()
The Jazz Collection
A celebration of the finest jazz musicians and documentaries dedicated to the genre.
