“Miles Davis stayed at the top of his 46 year career” (Rolling Stones. com, 2004). Miles Davis was born into an upperclass, professional African American family. His father was a dentists. Miles Davis, although born into a well educated family, he was rebellious. He shunned people, even during his concerts. He let the audience know he did not care if they enjoyed his music or not. During his performances, he turned his back to his audience while playing the trumpet.
During one concert, the audience booed him when he shunned them. He walked off stage continuing to play. Approximately 30 minutes later, Davis was discovered in a back room at the concert paying his trumpet. How Jazz Shaped Today’s Music All music ever created contributed to shaping today’s music. There are musical influences that transformed the earliest music that brought us up to today’s music. Cool Jazz; Free Jazz; and Fusion. These are the recent influences brining us up to today’s music.
Cool Jazz are popular, blues and bop mixes. They have longer measures and use more instruments. Free Jazz, is very hard to follow or copy. It’s purpose was to allow musicians to completely improvise like the original. It became difficult because the musicians understanding of chords, progressions and melodies made it impossible for them to play as they did when starting out. Miles Davis, known for his combination of genres linked yesterday’s music with influences of today’s music.
Fusion is a combination of jazz and rock’s musical instruments and composure. Jazz music went against the traditional rules. So does hip-hop, rap, at one time, pop, rock and so on. Improvisation is the characteristic of jazz. Jazz music started individual music creations. It is impossible to know where the future of music will end up. Artists are breaking traditions all of the time. Madonna at 48 years old is definitely setting new trends with her dancing, stage acts and music.
For the first time ever, for her recent Confessions tour, she learned to play the guitar. Gone are the days when artist’s success depends on auditions or political recommendations from instructors. With You Tube, Internet, video cameras, young artists are inventing their own creations. Artists are getting discovered on these sites. “Esmee Denters posted videos of herself singing Beyonce, Monica and Imbrugla covers, using nothing more but a karaoke machine and her sisters low-tech webcam” Bruno, P33).
Her popularity soared with the viewers. Atlanta records contacted her for a recording contract. Notes; Boyd, Jenny, 1992, Musicians in Tune, Fireside publication, P 160-165 (no auther given) March 3, 2007, BillBoard, The You Tube Conundrum, P 32-3. Yudkin, Jeremy, 2004, Discover Music, Jazz; An American Original; P. 287-305 Rolling Stones. com; Miles Davis
Biography; ‘2005 Billboard. com 2005, Louis Armstrong Biography 1995-2005 (no date on article) Billboard. com 2005 Miles Davis Biography, 1995-2005 (no date)