Miles Davis, one of America's finest jazz trumpeters and the most consistent trendsetter in jazz history, died Saturday at 65.
Davis died of pneumonia, respiratory failure and stroke, Dr. Jeff Harris said in a statement at St. John's Hospital and Health Center, where Davis was admitted earlier this month.Davis was the most famous trumpeter in his generation, in the line of jazz trumpeters that stretched from Louis Armstrong to Dizzy Gillespie to Wynton He was the innovator of more distinct styles than any other jazz musician. He pioneered in cool jazz, hard bop, modal playing, free-form explorations and use of "You can really say he turned the whole jazz world around," said Leonard Feather, a longtime friend and author of "The Encyclopedia of Jazz."
"He just had a guiding principle: Move ahead. Don't do what you were doing yesterday," Feather said.
"He seemed to be able to turn anything into something good," said drummer Max Roach, a longtime friend. "He was musically one of the restless ones, constantly seeking."
He was an astounding spotter and developer of talent, providing the springboard that brought many players to prominence. Tony Williams was just 18 when Davis hired him in 1963; Herbie Hancock was 23 when he joined the same year.
Davis had the respect and admiration of musicians, but every time he changed direction his audience divided between loyal and disenchanted listeners. He ignored them.
In his 1989 autobiography, "Miles," he wrote: "To be and stay a great musician you've got to always be open to what's new, what's happening at the moment. You have to be able to absorb it if you're going to continue to grow and communicate your music.
"I want to keep creating, changing. Music isn't about standing still and becoming safe. I like playing with young musicians."
"That was my gift, having the ability to put certain guys together that would create a chemistry and then letting them go; letting them play what they knew, and above it."