Western Oregon Journal

Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Culture

Jazz is considered to be the only original music sound to come out of America and Miles Davis is considered to be the man who helped this music genre grow and influenced many musicians to come.

Davis started his music career at a young age and performed with professional bands while he was still in high school. His passion for jazz music grew while still in school, when the popular Billy Eckstine ensemble came to visit Davis' home town. During the band's two week stay, Davis filled in when their regular trumpet player became sick. At the end of the Eckstine's ensemble performances, Davis accompanied them back to New York to attend Juilliard and perform on the club scene.

After joining the Charlie Parker Quintet in 1945, Davis started recording as a bandleader in 1947. Throughout his career Davis constantly modified his sound due to modern music influences. He started producing music that was heavily influenced by European classical flare and then added different styles to his music throughout the decades. In the fifties he brought in a bluesier feel which was later replaced by a rock and funksound with the introduction of artists like Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone in the late sixties and early seventies.

Davis broke away from the music scene until 1981, when he returned and quickly began to work on new albums, eventually coming out with his own versions of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Michael Jackson's "Human Nature." His last music endeavor involved working with rapper Easy Mo Bee to bring together doo-wop, bee-bop and hip-hop.

After a lifetime of creativity, musical genius, a heroin addiction and eight Grammys (the last of which he recieved after his death) Miles Davis passed away in 1991 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 due to his contributions to the music scene and helping artists find ways to incorporate new sound.•

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