Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
American Masters
S34.E1
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

  • Episode aired Feb 25, 2020
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer2:24
1 Video
10 Photos
DocumentaryBiographyMusic

Musicians, scholars, family and friends reflect on the life of jazzer Miles Davis to reveal the man behind the legend. Full access to Davis' estate provides rare footage and photos, outtakes... Read allMusicians, scholars, family and friends reflect on the life of jazzer Miles Davis to reveal the man behind the legend. Full access to Davis' estate provides rare footage and photos, outtakes from recording sessions and new interviews.Musicians, scholars, family and friends reflect on the life of jazzer Miles Davis to reveal the man behind the legend. Full access to Davis' estate provides rare footage and photos, outtakes from recording sessions and new interviews.

  • Director
    • Stanley Nelson
  • Stars
    • Carl Lumbly
    • Miles Davis
    • Reginald Petty
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    3.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Stanley Nelson
    • Stars
      • Carl Lumbly
      • Miles Davis
      • Reginald Petty
    • 18User reviews
    • 47Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:24
    Watch Trailer

    Photos10

    Miles Davis in Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
    Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
    Miles Davis in Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
    Miles Davis in Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
    Miles Davis in Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
    Miles Davis in Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
    Miles Davis in American Masters (1985)
    Miles Davis in American Masters (1985)
    Miles Davis in American Masters (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Carl Lumbly
    Carl Lumbly
    • Miles Davis
    • (voice)
    Miles Davis
    Miles Davis
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Reginald Petty
    • Self
    Quincy Troupe
    • Self
    Farah Griffin
    • Self - co-author of 'Clawing at the Limits of Cool: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and the Greatest Jazz Collaboration Ever'
    Lee Annie Bonner
    • Self - Miles Davis' childhood friend
    Ashley Kahn
    • Self
    Benjamin Cawthra
    • Self
    Billy Eckstine
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Walter Cronkite
    Walter Cronkite
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Jimmy Heath
    Jimmy Heath
    • Self
    Jimmy Cobb
    Jimmy Cobb
    • Self
    Dan Morgenstern
    • Self
    Charlie Parker
    Charlie Parker
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Greg Tate
    Greg Tate
    • Self
    Gerald Early
    Gerald Early
    • Self
    Quincy Jones
    Quincy Jones
    • Self
    Wayne Shorter
    Wayne Shorter
    • Self
    • Director
      • Stanley Nelson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Crazy credits
      All Miles's words are his own, voiced by Carl Lumbly
    • Connections
      Features Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    User reviews18

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    An inside look at the legendary musician's tortured soul.
    Miles Davis was a jazz musician with a big impact on the music industry, even up to this day. A cultural phenomenon who didn't play by the rules, but did everything on his own terms and with success. Interestingly enough, there hasn't really been a decent documentary made about his life, until now.

    Director Stanley Nelson takes us backstage and on to a journey into the highs and lows of Davis' career and personal life, with the respect this legend deserves. He shows us his road to success, breaks down his relationships and doesn't shy away from the darker side of his breakdown. Every strength and weakness get discussed in detail and analysed by professionals and musicians who had the chance to meet the man himself. From Quincy Jones and Carlos Santana to his children. For the hardcore fans, some of the footage might be familiar, but there is new material being shown that has been archived for years.

    Miles Davis comes from a honourable family, but still has to deal with segregation in Illinois, in spite of his talent and success. After becoming a breakout star in the United States of America, he embarks on a European tour where he gets welcomed as a world star. Paris has a huge impact on his future career, but this dream doesn't last long as he needs to return back to New York, where he always felt like living in a confined domain. An addiction to heroin, and depression soon haunt him for the rest of his life. Always being afraid of becoming the mirror image of his abusive father, he becomes just that. His former partners speak out on the violence they had to endure and how they were able to escape that toxic environment.

    His music gets analysed and we hear plenty of his early style of jazz - bebop - growing into the more experimental phase of his music into the 70s. His sound was unique, even when he reimagined himself completely when stepping back into the scene the last decade of his life. A king that will always be remembered by his success, style and class.

    The film itself wants to connect mostly with a more familiar with jazz-audience than a younger one that grew up with poppy forgettable tunes. But when disregarding that certain audience, you might miss out on the opportunity to pull that group in and take them on that journey that is Miles Davis. You can tell his estate was heavily involved in the making of this film, by the amount of footage and music used - it's impressive and that's certainly understated. But what is noticeable in music docs this decade, is the lack of subjectiveness. This could make the film more visually pleasing and go even deeper into Davis' music and career.

    Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool gives us a look at the legendary musician's tortured soul who was unpredictable in his actions as in his craft. He changed the game for everyone with his creativity and point of view. If only they showcased that bolder side of his personality, this film could've become something more than just solid.
    helpful•19
    4
    • eelen-seth
    • May 22, 2019

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ1

    • When will this be available to stream...?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 25, 2020 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Майлз Дэвис: Рождение нового джаза
    • Production companies
      • 1515 Productions Limited
      • American Masters Pictures
      • American Masters
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.