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Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Miles Davis: Horn player, bandleader, innovator. This documentary feature explores archival photos and home movies shot by Miles and his colleagues, his manuscripts and Miles' original paintings, to explore the man behind the music.

Director

Stanley Nelson

Year

Genre

documentary, biography, music

Box Office

N/A

Production

N/A

Awards

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast information not available.

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Explore 590 Clips

♪ I love the rhythm in a riff
When the music jumps I get a lift ♪ - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

♪ I love the rhythm in a riff When the music jumps I get a l...

♪ When that rhythm's in ya
The blues don't have a chance ♪ - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

♪ When that rhythm's in ya The blues don't have a ...

I mean, you've got the laboratory, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I mean, you've got the laboratory,

[music continues] - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[music continues]

I decided right then and there
I had to be in New York, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I decided right then and there I had to be in New York,

Walter Cronkite reporting. War years
always bring on new fads and tastes - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Walter Cronkite reporting. War years always bring on new fad...

This strange music has been accused
of everything, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

This strange music has been accused of everything,

[music: "Donna Lee" by Charlie Parker] - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[music: "Donna Lee" by Charlie Parker]

[Miles] I had never heard no shit
like they was playing on 52nd Street. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Miles] I had never heard no shit like they was playing on 5...

Each little place had a speaker outside - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Each little place had a speaker outside

You could stand outside and hear the music
until a doorman... - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

You could stand outside and hear the music until a doorman.....

The clubs had doormen,
they would chase you away. [chuckles] - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

The clubs had doormen, they would chase you away. [chuckles]

Miles enrolled at Juilliard
'cause he wanted to learn music - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Miles enrolled at Juilliard 'cause he wanted to learn m...

[Griffin] He is serious about Juilliard.
He's seriously committed to it - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Griffin] He is serious about Juilliard. He's seriously...

[Miles] A lot of the old guys
thought that if you went to school, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Miles] A lot of the old guys thought that if you went to sc...

If you learned something from theory, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

If you learned something from theory,

I would go to the library
and borrow scores - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I would go to the library and borrow scores

[Heath] So, he was to go
at Juilliard in the daytime - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Heath] So, he was to go at Juilliard in the daytime

[Miles] I spent my first week in New York
looking for Bird and Dizzy. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Miles] I spent my first week in New York looking for Bird a...

Then, one night, I heard this voice
from behind me say: - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Then, one night, I heard this voice from behind me say:

You can compare bebop
to the Manhattan Project. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

You can compare bebop to the Manhattan Project.

And it was developed
by some serious sound physicists... - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

And it was developed by some serious sound physicists...

Blowing their brains out
to push this music as far as they could. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Blowing their brains out to push this music as far as they c...

So, Miles stepped into kind of a hotbed
of musical research and development. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

So, Miles stepped into kind of a hotbed of musical research ...

It was a music by black musicians, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

It was a music by black musicians,

[Jones] No smiling and laughing
and grinning and dancing and shit. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Jones] No smiling and laughing and grinning and dancing and...

[Tate] Miles saw
these very elegantly-dressed characters. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Tate] Miles saw these very elegantly-dressed characters.

The dignity that came with that
and the nobility that came with that - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

The dignity that came with that and the nobility that came w...

Very soon after Miles starts
his Juilliard studies... - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Very soon after Miles starts his Juilliard studies...

Irene arrives, his high school sweetheart, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Irene arrives, his high school sweetheart,

[Miles] All of a sudden, there she was,
knocking on my motherfucking door. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Miles] All of a sudden, there she was, knocking on my mothe...

[Griffin] I mean,
it seems almost impossible, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Griffin] I mean, it seems almost impossible,

There's the domestic situation
with children. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

There's the domestic situation with children.

There's the kind of time
required of anyone - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

There's the kind of time required of anyone

Everything, power. Everything, humor. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Everything, power. Everything, humor.

[Shorter] One day, the teacher said: - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Shorter] One day, the teacher said:

And she says: "Yes?" - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

And she says: "Yes?"

[Khan] Miles, within months,
is hanging with Bird. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Khan] Miles, within months, is hanging with Bird.

He really arrives, like, right away. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

He really arrives, like, right away.

Bird would play the head of the tune
and just leave him on stage by himself. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Bird would play the head of the tune and just leave him on s...

'cause he was just so stressed out
and humiliated. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

'cause he was just so stressed out and humiliated.

I mean, those cats could wear him out
on the horn any night. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I mean, those cats could wear him out on the horn any night.

[Kernodle] He comes up with a style
that is truly reflective of who he is, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Kernodle] He comes up with a style that is truly reflective...

It is him.
It is uniquely, organically him. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

It is him. It is uniquely, organically him.

[Khan] Miles meets Gil Evans
and there's this level of mutual respect - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Khan] Miles meets Gil Evans and there's this level of ...

[Miles] I liked the way Gil wrote music
and he liked the way I played. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Miles] I liked the way Gil wrote music and he liked the way...

It's called Birth of the Cool, a nonet, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

It's called Birth of the Cool, a nonet,

[Symphony Sid]
Right now, ladies and gentlemen, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Symphony Sid] Right now, ladies and gentlemen,

"Impressions in Modern Music" - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

"Impressions in Modern Music"

[Tate] I think the intention was to create
a listening music, concert music, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Tate] I think the intention was to create a listening music...

Well, it's mainly about trying
to create new colors, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Well, it's mainly about trying to create new colors,

And I think he was conscious of the fact
that to move the music forward, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

And I think he was conscious of the fact that to move the mu...

[newscaster] The heart of European
civilization is beating strong again. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[newscaster] The heart of European civilization is beating s...

It was a very unique time
in France's life. Very. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

It was a very unique time in France's life. Very.

[crowds cheering] - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[crowds cheering]

There were two bombs,
the atomic bomb and the Liberation. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

There were two bombs, the atomic bomb and the Liberation.

After the war, France was different,
Europe was different - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

After the war, France was different, Europe was different

You're now listening to the Tadd Dameron
and Miles Davis Quintet. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

You're now listening to the Tadd Dameron and Miles Davi...

[music: "Rifftide"] - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[music: "Rifftide"]

I loved being in Paris
and loved the way I was treated. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I loved being in Paris and loved the way I was treated.

[Troupe] He said that the food
even tasted better in France. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Troupe] He said that the food even tasted better in France.

The smell in the air
was even more beautiful in Paris. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

The smell in the air was even more beautiful in Paris.

That moment, for him,
was something that was galvanizing. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

That moment, for him, was something that was galvanizing.

I never had time for any kind of romance
until I met Juliette Gréco. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I never had time for any kind of romance until I met Juliett...

♪ Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux ♪ - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

♪ Sous le ciel de Paris Marchent des amoureux ♪

It was really beautiful,
aesthetically beautiful. He was beautiful. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

It was really beautiful, aesthetically beautiful. He was bea...

My English was bad. It still is, but
at this time, it was really, really bad. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

My English was bad. It still is, but at this time, it was re...

♪ L'hymne d'un peuple épris
De sa vieille cité ♪ - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

♪ L'hymne d'un peuple épris De sa vieille cité ♪...

I cared a lot for Irene, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I cared a lot for Irene,

[Griffin] She brings him into a circle - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Griffin] She brings him into a circle

Jazz was really seen as
the height of artistry at that time - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Jazz was really seen as the height of artistry at that time

[Khan] He meets Pablo Picasso,
Jean-Paul Sartre. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Khan] He meets Pablo Picasso, Jean-Paul Sartre.

He's treated as an equal by some
of the most creative giants of the day. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

He's treated as an equal by some of the most creative g...

[Griffin] Paris for Miles is kind of
opening up of possibility and potential, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Griffin] Paris for Miles is kind of opening up of possibili...

And, in fact, it might be something that
contributes to your ability to ascend. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

And, in fact, it might be something that contributes to your...

[Miles] Paris was where I understood
that all white people weren't the same... - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Miles] Paris was where I understood that all white people w...

Sartre asked Miles:
"Why don't you marry Gréco?" - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Sartre asked Miles: "Why don't you marry Gréco?&qu...

♪ Dans le printemps de Paris ♪ - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

♪ Dans le printemps de Paris ♪

You see your country as you knew
it but in an even starker light - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

You see your country as you knew it but in an even starker l...

[Miles] It was hard for me to come back - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Miles] It was hard for me to come back

I lost my sense of discipline, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

I lost my sense of discipline,

Before I knew it, I had a heroin habit... - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Before I knew it, I had a heroin habit...

Which meant getting and shooting heroin
all the time, all day and all night. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Which meant getting and shooting heroin all the time, all da...

[music: "Paraphernalia"] - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[music: "Paraphernalia"]

There's no expectation
that Miles is going to survive, - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

There's no expectation that Miles is going to survive,

[Wein] I had a little club in...
I think it was Hartford. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[Wein] I had a little club in... I think it was Hartford.

And Symphony Sid said:
"Don't give Miles any money." - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

And Symphony Sid said: "Don't give Miles any money...

[music: "Paraphernalia"] - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

[music: "Paraphernalia"]

And came to the club
and took him off the stage. - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

And came to the club and took him off the stage.

He said: "Come on.
You're going back home with me." - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

He said: "Come on. You're going back home with me....

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Miles Davis: Horn player, bandleader, innovator. This documentary feature explores archival photos and home movies shot by Miles and his colleagues, his manuscripts and Miles' original paintings, to explore the man behind the music.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Stanley Nelson

Writer: N/A

Production: N/A

Genre: documentary, biography, music

Year: 2019

MetaScore: 76/100

ImdbRating: 7.4

BoxOffice: N/A

Released: 23 Aug 2019

Awards: 1 win & 7 nominations.

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