miles

Even in the beginning he was already miles ahead. It's very evident that Miles knew and lived by that old axiom if it's named, then it's outmoded. Miles Dewey Davis was born May 25, 1926 in Alton, Illinois and grew up in East St. Louis. Miles collected records and for his 13th birthday was given his first trumpet. By age 16, Miles was playing professionally and received his first real taste of what playing jazz was like when …

…music ruffled the feathers of jazz purists who were unwilling to accept Davis' vision for the ever-evolving genre. However, rock fans were blown away. The trumpeter's 1970 fusion masterwork, Bitches Brew, sold over 4000,000 copies in a year, making it the biggest selling jazz album in history. Even though Davis died Sept. 28, 1991, the trumpeting jazz titan continues to impact the contemporary music world. In 1962, Davis was elected by the Readers into the Down Beat Hall of Fame.