Summer Concert Series: Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)

I admit that I am a relative newcomer to Miles Davis' music (I love it by the way). So when I first saw this movie there was a lot that was new to me that may not have been new to many of you.

 This is a simple straightforward documentary but an excellently done one. The interviews with his friends, family and bandmates are fantastic. What makes them work, beyond just how much insight they give you, is the emotion behind them. Miles didn't have the reputation of being one of the nicest people in the world and this film certainly shows why. There are times when it is hard not to get a little angry hearing what he has done. Yet the people being interviewed hardly seem to hold a grudge. They knew he could be a jerk to them, but despite that there was something all of them seemed to still love about the man. They don't defend him or what he did, but rather just love him in spite of these faults and there is something extremely beautiful about that. Of course this is a music documentary and the movie gives a great insight into is music and many of the artistic choices he made and why his music still touches so many. I can't see anyone watching this film and not wanting to listen to the man's incredible music. Those being interviewed talk about the music with such a passion that it is had not to feel that same passion. At the same time while we don't see any complete performances the clips we get are incredible and make one automatically want more. This doc also explains why his later electric work was not a simply ploy to stay relevant, but that his music was always been true to who he was in that moment, whether it was more traditional jazz or the funk inspired experimental music from 1969 on. He was never satisfied with what he did in the past, always looking instead at one to redefine himself and bring his music into the modern era (whatever that era may be). The man was a true artist in every sense of the word.

The main problem with this movie is it tries to tell the story of a decades long career in less than two hours. It is not enough time, and the film can often feel rushed and you wish they would spend more time on one subject. Yet for what this film does it is truly excellent.

-Michael J. Ruhland