Miles Davis film BBC2 (UK)

**grahambop** · 03-14-2020, 04:30 AM

Heads-up for those in the UK, the new Miles Davis documentary is on BBC2 tonight at 9pm.

BBC Two - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

**Rob MacKillop** · 03-14-2020, 05:00 AM

Ha, I just came here to post the exact same thing. I hope it's good. "Unpacking the myth of the man behind the horn. Contains very strong language." I bet it does!

**digger** · 03-14-2020, 05:03 AM

Damn. Missed it. Not on iPlayer yet, but it says it will appear shortly...

Thanks for the heads-up :-)

**Rob MacKillop** · 03-14-2020, 05:06 AM

You haven't missed it, as it is not on until tonight, 9pm. Lasts for nearly two hours.

**Rob MacKillop** · 03-14-2020, 05:08 AM

Grr

**grahambop** · 03-14-2020, 06:12 AM

Here’s a little taster:

Film-maker Stanley Nelson on new Miles Davis movie - BBC News

**digger** · 03-14-2020, 06:14 AM

Cool. My error - simply assumed it was on the Beeb's regular Friday night music extravaganza. I shall get my VHS ready.

**dot75** · 03-14-2020, 07:44 AM

This is the PBS American Masters Doc that was the subject of another recent thread.

you can get it from their (PBS) site if you can't wait...

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool | Watch American Masters PBS online

**digger** · 03-14-2020, 07:59 AM

I will watch it later - that link (and the Lee Morgan link in the other thread) aren't available here (UK).

On a related issue, all those years ago when Miles died there were numerous documentaries about him. I recall watching one that I could have sworn was entitled Miles in Paris and it featured Kenny Garrett playing an astounding solo that went on an on. I recall he was dressed in one of his long white gowns (not the right word I'm sure) and the sun was setting behind him as he played this very long solo.

I've search in vain for that concert since. I did have it on tape at the time, but have long lost it. I've bought several Miles In Paris DVDs and watched many others and have enjoyed numerous versions of Kenny Garrett playing Human Nature (which I'm pretty sure is the tune in question) but never found the "white sunset" version again.

Derek

**dot75** · 03-14-2020, 08:42 AM

'I will watch it later - that link (and the Lee Morgan link in the other thread) aren't available here (UK).'

I'm in the UK too. Y'all need a proxy server Lots available.
I use Windscribe which works on Firefox Chrome & Opera (all of which I use)...I got a free 50 GB pm plan the last time they offered 'em. no affiliation, other proxies are available etc. works fine, streams in HD etc

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-14-2020, 08:44 AM

I’ve already posted about that video. Nice documentary for what it is, if too short.

Like all of us Miles was a flawed human being, maybe more flawed than many of us.

But damn if my appreciation of him as an artist doesn’t just keep growing the more I listen to him and learn about him.

I think when the history of music in the 20th century is written, the first 3 chapters will be Louis, Duke and Miles.

**stevus** · 03-14-2020, 11:09 AM

I already saw it a while ago. It's good indeed.

**lammie200** · 03-14-2020, 12:24 PM

Good but too short. It could have been the intro to a whole series IMHO.

**Rob MacKillop** · 03-15-2020, 09:01 AM

Too short for us, maybe, but getting a two-hour spot on prime-time BBC for a jazz program these days is nothing short of miraculous. I wish they'd spent more time with the Miles Smiles group, though they did cover it. I'm just thankful they aired the documentary at all.

**grahambop** · 03-19-2020, 06:20 PM

Just got round to watching this, I enjoyed it. Lots of cool photos shown, some I hadn’t seen before. I assume that Miles’ friend Cortez McCoy must be the ‘Corky McCoy’ who did the album cover for ‘On the Corner’?

By the way this is the background track they used throughout. It features a George Benson solo near the end. (In Benson’s bio. he says he didn’t really understand this tune, he just ‘found a groove’ and stayed with it, then for his solo played a few ‘hot licks’, he didn’t really know what key to play it in! Fortunately Miles liked what he did.)

**grahambop** · 03-20-2020, 09:14 AM

According to Benson, even Miles wasn’t too sure about ‘Paraphernalia’:

“Miles said, “Wayne, what kind of song is this? I think you write these crazy tunes just to hang me up, just to see if I can play them.””

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-20-2020, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Just got round to watching this, I enjoyed it. Lots of cool photos shown, some I hadn’t seen before. I assume that Miles’ friend Cortez McCoy must be the ‘Corky McCoy’ who did the album cover for ‘On the Corner’?

By the way this is the background track they used throughout. It features a George Benson solo near the end. (In Benson’s bio. he says he didn’t really understand this tune, he just ‘found a groove’ and stayed with it, then for his solo played a few ‘hot licks’, he didn’t really know what key to play it in! Fortunately Miles liked what he did.)

Cool!

I will say when listening to some of the more out there jazz works especially free jazz, I wonder if most of the musicians on the recording know what key they're playing in.

**jazzereh** · 03-20-2020, 02:59 PM

If it's the same documentary, saw it last night on Netflix. Very good. However, given the title, I thought it would be more about the music but it's a good look at his life and his wives and his ability to adapt his music. He was a visionary or at least managed to distill what was coming musically. I had not heard about this film when we saw it listed on Netflix so came in blind and, like I said, had hopes it would highlight the making of his recordings such as Birth of the Cool, his '50s quintet, Kind of Blue and so on. Even his addictions and his abuse of his wives were somewhat glossed over.

However, given that they covered such a long career there had to be some concessions to cut. I would make a very different documentary but if you have a chance to see this, as a jazz fan, you should.

**Vladan** · 03-20-2020, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by jazzereh

If it's the same documentary, saw it last night on Netflix. Very good. However, given the title, I thought it would be more about the music but it's a good look at his life and his wives and his ability to adapt his music. He was a visionary or at least managed to distill what was coming musically. I had not heard about this film when we saw it listed on Netflix so came in blind and, like I said, had hopes it would highlight the making of his recordings such as Birth of the Cool, his '50s quintet, Kind of Blue and so on. Even his addictions and his abuse of his wives were somewhat glossed over.

However, given that they covered such a long career there had to be some concessions to cut. I would make a very different documentary but if you have a chance to see this, as a jazz fan, you should.

I agree, as documentary it was somewhat shallow.

However, the music. I am not sure there could be better play list example of Miles' genius.
Especially contrasting what "the thing" was at time, to what Miles thought it should be and where he went, as well as to his band members, all geniuses in their own, shows how really good he was, why he was rightfully treated as something special and how topics covered in usual "jazz robot" talk do not really matter.

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-21-2020, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by jazzereh

If it's the same documentary, saw it last night on Netflix. Very good. However, given the title, I thought it would be more about the music but it's a good look at his life and his wives and his ability to adapt his music. He was a visionary or at least managed to distill what was coming musically. I had not heard about this film when we saw it listed on Netflix so came in blind and, like I said, had hopes it would highlight the making of his recordings such as Birth of the Cool, his '50s quintet, Kind of Blue and so on. Even his addictions and his abuse of his wives were somewhat glossed over.

However, given that they covered such a long career there had to be some concessions to cut. I would make a very different documentary but if you have a chance to see this, as a jazz fan, you should.

Not to quibble too much—I think they highlighted some of his issues with abuse and drugs. Just speaking for myself, I would not be interested in watching 2 hours of people talking about what a rotten guy Miles was or how bad an addict he was. I find that stuff interesting and informative up to a point, but in the end it’s about creativity and rising above one’s flaws.

I think Miles had a very strong run at the end after he had cleaned up...was gonna say “second act”, but maybe 4th or 5th would be more appropriate. Something similar could be said about Stan Getz, and heck probably any artist who survives addiction and lives at least into his/her 60’s.