Miles Davis's Career

Miles playing live, 1945

Miles in the studio, 1959

Miles in 1982

1944–1948: The bebop years

In September 1944, Davis accepted his father's idea of studying at the Institute of Musical Arts, later known as the Juilliard School, in New York City. Davis passed his audition and attended classes in music theory, piano and dictation.

After finally locating his idol, Davis became one of the cadre of musicians who held nightly jam sessions at two Harlem nightclubs, Minton's Playhouse and Monroe's. The group included many of the future leaders of the bebop revolution such as Fats Navarro, Freddie Webster, and J. J. Johnson.

1957–1963: The lead-up to Kind of Blue

In March and April 1959, Davis recorded what many critics consider his greatest album, Kind of Blue (1959). Davis named the album to describe its overall mood. The musicians involved were:

• John Coltrane (ts)
• Cannonball Adderley (as)
• Paul Chambers (b)
• Jimmy Cobb (d)
• Wyn Kelly (p)