[troutman]

I select in the Musician/Composer Category, from East St. Louis, Illinois, MILES DAVIS (1926-1991):



The greatest musician of the 20th Century. I selected Davis in the first Music Draft. Bitches Brew gives me chills every time I hear it - this is spooky, ethereal, sublime stuff.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifuxqt5ldke~T1

Throughout a professional career lasting 50 years, Miles Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective, and melodic style, often employing a stemless Harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. But if his approach to his instrument was constant, his approach to jazz was dazzlingly protean. To examine his career is to examine the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s, since he was in the thick of almost every important innovation and stylistic development in the music during that period, and he often led the way in those changes, both with his own performances and recordings and by choosing sidemen and collaborators who forged new directions. It can even be argued that jazz stopped evolving when Davis wasn't there to push it forward.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/12/23/045042.php

Very, very few artists can be said to have changed the course of their medium even once. Miles Davis changed the direction of jazz three times.

First with 1949's The Birth of the Cool, Davis, early in his career as a bandleader, slowed the frantic tempo of bebop down, and introduced the world to cool jazz. This would be the dominant form of jazz, especially as played by west coast musicians, for the next decade.

In 1969, Davis released Bitches Brew, a double album of what would eventually be described as jazz-rock fusion. Fusion of course, would be the dominant form of jazz (for better or worse) for the next decade, and the players on Bitches Brew (which include John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, and Chick Corea) would be its chief proponents.

In between those two extremes, in 1959, Davis introduced modal jazz to the world [with his album, Kind of Blue, (the making of which would make for an excellent documentary itself).]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_davis

Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music including cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz and fusion. Many well-known jazz musicians made their names as members of Davis' ensembles, including John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan, Tony Williams, George Coleman, J.J. Johnson, Keith Jarrett and Kenny Garrett.



Part II:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9I08...eature=related

Part III:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbPsf...eature=related