Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

If anyone left his mark on twentieth century jazz music in particular and (popular) culture in general, it was American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis (1926-1991). He combined a virtuoso technique with an unbridled passion for innovation, while also being a snazzy dresser and mesmerizing style icon embodying everything that was cool. His life had a downside though: he was a notorious drug addict, could get quite rough with his lovers, and as a black man he all too often had to face the racism prevalent in the United States of his time.

With 20-plus documentaries to his name, director Stanley Nelson has now portrayed the life and work of Davis as fully as possible. To achieve this, he spoke with many musicians, including Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones, and managed to get hold of never-before-seen archival footage.