It’s that time of year again: April is the month designated by the Smithsonian as Jazz Appreciation Month, also known as JAM, back in 2001. Each year the museum has produced a poster for the event. This year’s is titled “Jazzed about Art ‘Miles Davis,’” which you can download here.
Davis has been part of my musical soundscape since the day I was born, back in 1947. That year, he was already in New York City, gigging with jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and Thelonious Monk. My parents always talked about seeing him play live in clubs in Harlem and on 52nd Street.
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There is no way one story could fully cover his body of work, or even explore in depth the many periods in the course of his musical life, so I’ll post a brief review of his history and play my favorites, and hope you will join me in the comments to post yours.
Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music. With over 150 stories (and counting) covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack, I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.