University News Last updated 29 January
As part of the Eastside Jazz Festival, RBC will mark the centenary of the birth of Miles Davis with the launch of the book Rethinking Miles Davis. This celebration of the acclaimed Jazz musician will take place on Thursday 12 February, 2-4pm in the Organ Studio at RBC.
Professor of Radio and Popular Music Studies Tim Wall will introduce the book on behalf of the researchers at RBC and Birmingham City University (BCU) who have contributed chapters to the new title. The contributors will then introduce chapters from the book they have written and will be available to discuss the life and music of this legendary figure.
Rethinking Miles Davis analyses how Davis led Jazz into new genre forms, re-envisioned jazz standards and collaborated musically. It also shines a light on his role in record companies that released his music and his persona seen in video, film and fashion, as well as how his masculinity manifested professionally and personally.
Following the discussion, guests will enjoy a post-launch performance by the RBC Jazz Orchestra of the Davis and Gil Evans arrangement of George Gershwin’s ‘Porgy and Bess’, featuring two RBC graduates as soloists.
Professor of Radio and Popular Music Studies Tim Wall commented: “The editors are thrilled to have brought together this collection of new insights into one of the leading instrumentalists and leaders of jazz. It marks a significant and original reconsideration of Miles Davis’ place in cultural history in the centenary of his birth. The strength of contribution from academics from RBC and Birmingham City University indicate their position as a world-leading centre for jazz research."
Professor of Jazz Studies Tony Whyton said: "I am delighted to contribute a chapter to such a groundbreaking collection with Oxford University Press. I'm also thrilled to be part of this launch event at the new Eastside Jazz Festival."
Senior Research Fellow in Ethnomusicology and Jazz Studies Professor Pedro Cravinho added: “My chapter analyses Miles Davis' presence in Portugal by examining his reception in the Portuguese press, using Elias and Scotson’s study The Established and the Outsiders as a framework, and considering a series of episodes linked to his presence on and off stage.
“During his first visit to the country, under the right-wing, colonialist New State regime, his Bitches Brew sound shocked an audience of thousands, particularly jazz purists. On subsequent visits, Portugal was a democracy. With his Tutu sonorities, Miles was received as a pop star. Yet his deep disdain for the public, journalists, and critics alike sparked intense debates between his followers and detractors. Overall, Miles Davis’ presence in Portugal was always shrouded in controversy.”
The National Jazz Archive is kindly supporting the Rethinking Miles Davis book launch.