Miles Davis' legacy highlighted at Baku Jazz Festival

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Renowned for his fiery solos, Miles Davis is widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the XX century.

Legendary trumpeter stood behind the creation of major subgenres in modern jazz.

This year, Miles Davis would have turned 96 years old. After so many years, his music continues to influence musicians and touches the hearts of jazz admirers worldwide.

Miles Davis's legacy has been highlighted at the 17th Baku International Jazz Festival, Azernews reports.

A documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019) was screened at YARAT Contemporary Art Space.

Before the film screening, film expert Ulvi Mehdi provided insight into the life of the greatest jazz musician of all time within the traditional festival cycle "Cinema &Jazz soundtrack".

He drew viewers' attention to the difference between this film and all previous documentary and feature adaptations about Miles Davis.

Filmed by Stanley Nelson Jr, the documentary features a collection of videos from concerts and rehearsals, photos, and interviews with Miles Davis's contemporaries and collaborators including Carl Lumbly, Quincy Jones, Carlos Santana, Clive Davis, Wayne Shorter, etc.

The film focuses on the figure of Miles Davis as a revolutionary who recognizes boundaries neither in life nor in music.

Genius, visionary, pioneer - it seems that even these words are not enough to describe the significance of the jazz legend, a man who swept through the musical landscape of the middle of the last century like a hurricane to overthrow all the canons.

The film won two Emmy Awards for Best Art Documentary and Original Score. The film premiered at the iconic Sundance Film Festival.

At the end of the interactive viewing, representatives of the media, artists, students, and diplomatic missions shared their impressions.

The documentary won two Emmy Awards in 2021 for outstanding arts and culture documentaries and outstanding sound.

The film caught the attention of the audience which included artists, students, media representatives and diplomatic missions accredited in Azerbaijan. After the film screening, they shared their impressions of the film.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.