MUSIC DOC
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Stanley Nelson’s Grammy-nominated Miles Davis documentary paints a more favorable portrait of the mercurial jazz trumpet player than Don Cheadle’s 2016 biopic Miles Ahead. Carl Lumbly narrates in a growly voice, mimicking Davis. The storyline skips from the ’40s bebop era where Davis played with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to the ’50s when he honed his laid-back Kind of Blue style to his late ’60s and early ’70s transition to electric jazz fusion highlighted by the ground-breaking Bitches Brew to his comeback in the ’80s. Bandmates Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Lenny White and Ron Carter offer commentaries and Carlos Santana describes Bitches Brew as “acid music.” Davis’ relationships with women, some of whom he treated badly, receives significant attention as does his addictions to heroin and cocaine. But above all the music - the movie is chock full of Davis classics - stands out. PBS
