So here we go – more fun conjecture to fill space until we know more details about what Don Cheadle is up to. But it does make sense for the as-yet-made film to debut in the French Riviera, especially when you consider the unique relationship between the jazz legend and the country.

Miles Davis’ adventures in France are well documented in books, magazine articles, and on various musical recordings, so I won’t delve too deep into the specifics.

I will, however, point out two Miles Davis projects I enjoy, both with a decidedly French twist.

The first being the album “Miles Davis in Europe,” which was recorded live in France at the Festival Mondial, du Jazz Antibes Miles Davis in 1963. Alongside tenor saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams the album is wonderful; my favorite track is the ballad “I Thought About You.”

The second item is film-related. It’s 1957 and Miles Davis has ventured off to France for a tour and recorded the soundtrack for the film “Ascenseur pour l’Echafaud” — otherwise known as “Elevator to the Gallows,” directed by Louis Malle and starring Jeanne Moreau.

In doing some research I happened upon what seems to be an academic study about Miles Davis, Louis Malle and Ascenseur pour l’Echafaud titled “A Jazz Film of Collaborative Integrity.”

Based on the URL it appears to be from Cornell University, but I am unsure of the date. There is a video component so it cannot be too old.

The essay provides some wonderful information about Davis’ involvement with the film, including this snippet of conversation Davis shared with friend Quincy Troupe about his time in France.

Then I went to Paris again to play as a guest soloist for a few weeks. And it was during this trip that I met French filmmaker Louis Malle through Juliette Greco. He Told me he had always loved my music and that he wanted me to write the musical score for his new film, L’Ascenseur pour l’echafaud. I agreed to do it and it was a great learning experience, because I had never written a music score for a film before. I would look at the rushes of the film and get musical ideas to write down. Since it was about a murder and was supposed to be a suspense movie, I used this old, gloomy, dark building where I had the musicians play.

I thought it would give the music atmosphere, and it did. …When I got back to New York in December 1957, I was ready to move forward with my music again. I asked Red to come back, and he did. When I heard Monk’s gig at Five Spot was ending, I called Trane and told him I wanted him back, and he said, “Okay.” Man, when this happened, I knew some real great musical shit was about to go down; I could feel it in my bones. And it happened. It went all the way down. (Troupe, 217-222.)

While researching photos I ran across this image – a statue of Miles Davis by by Niki de Saint-Phalle outside the Hotel Negresco (on the Promenade des Anglais on the Baie des Anges) in Nice, France.

Miles Davis had a special relationship with France and is, no doubt, part of the country’s musical and artistic foundation.

The thought of a Miles Davis Biopic premiering in Cannes feels right. It feels like an event! I can’t imagine a biopic about Miles Davis debuting in France not being a big deal.

I think the ol’ jazz legend would get a thrill out of it…

The Miles Davis Movie: Will/Should The Miles Davis Biopic Premier At Cannes? is a post from: Miles Davis Online

I recently discovered the artwork of Russian-born painter Nina Mikhailenko. Her official website features what is a sensational collection of her artwork – from landscapes and flowers, to famous locations, corporate art, and portraits.

And then we have two oil paintings of Miles Davis. One of the two is featured above. The other can be viewed here.

I’ll forgo any novice art criticism and just say that both are terrific. Like all of her exceptional work, the paintings are accentuated with a vibrant mix of color, texture and movement.

I recently had a chance to ask Nina a few questions about her Miles Davis paintings.

Miles Davis Online: What is the creative process behind your paintings “Miles” and “Miles Davis”?
Nina Mikhailenko: I spent a lot of time on research, looking at all available material, reading Miles biographies, searching for the right image. In this case I found a torso photo and then asked several trumpet players to stand in for Miles, so I can draw the rest of the figure.

But since everyone’s temperament is different, I was not satisfied with the results. Their legs did not belong to Miles. Finally I asked my artist girlfriend to pretend to hold the trumpet and I thought that her pose was the closest to what I was looking for. Since it was a commission I knew that I needed a piano player and a bass. I did a lot of comps before I found the one I liked. Then I had to decide on the colors. Again a lot of sketches. As you can see the most time was spent on preliminary work. “Miles” was the final sketch for “Miles Davis”.

The painting itself was easy: I have a lot of musicians friends and they came with their instruments and posed for me. Chris Clark brought his 100 year old bass. I used color clear plastics to filter the light. You can see there was a lot of work that went into those paintings.

Miles Davis Online: Who are some artists of the past and present that have inspired you?
Nina Mikhailenko: Spanish artist Sorolla, Russians Korovin, Serov, Repin, my teacher Sergey Bongart, American John Singer Sargent and many others. I cannot forget to mention Caravaggio and Fechin – two of my favorites!

Miles Davis Online: Are you working on anything special at the moment?
Nina Mikhailenko: I have a few portrait commissions. I am also working on a painting for Equine Art Juried Show.

Miles Davis Online: Is there possibly another Miles Davis painting down the road for you?
Nina Mikhailenko: I have not thought about it, but I might one of these days.

Miles Davis Online: Favorite Miles Davis album?
Nina Mikhailenko: I prefer his earlier work and that is why I chose that particular image, and not the later more flamboyant and recognizable look.

© Nina Mikhailenko. All artwork, and images of artwork are property of Nina Mikhailenko. All rights reserved.

The Miles Davis Online Interview: Nina Mikhailenko is a post from: Miles Davis Online

Ron Carter will be the 19th recipient of the Miles Davis Award, created for the 15th anniversary of the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 1994 to honor a great international jazz musician for the entire body of his or her work and for that musician’s influence in regenerating the jazz idiom.

If double bass is the foundation of jazz rhythm, Ron Carter is its cornerstone. Recognized for the solidity, grace and finesse of his playing, this acknowledged master has left his mark on over 2000 albums.

A renowned composer, inspired soloist and sought-after accompanist, Ron Carter has collaborated with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Lena Horne, Bill Evans, James Brown, and many more. In the early 1970s, he established himself as leader-soloist of his own groups and brought a special panache to expanding the boundaries of jazz.

In this concert-the first one since 1994!- Ron Carter leads a trio filled out by guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Donald Vega. Ron Carter Trio with Russell Malone and Donald Vega, 6 p.m., Club Soda (Jazz Beat Hyatt Regency Montréal series).

Ron Carter is the latest in a series of Miles Davis prizewinners. He follows Stanley Clarke (2011), Sonny Rollins (2010), Ornette Coleman (2009), McCoy Tyner (2008), Mike Stern (2007), Brad Mehldau (2006), Dave Holland (2005), Keith Jarrett (2004), Joe Zawinul (2003), Chick Corea (2002), Michael Brecker (2001), Charlie Haden (2000), Cassandra Wilson (1999), John Scofield (1998), Herbie Hancock (1997), Wayne Shorter (1996), Pat Metheny (1995) and John McLaughlin (1994).

Click here to read about all of this year’s Montreal International Jazz Festival’s honorees.

Miles Davis Award Going To Ron Carter At 2012 Montreal International Jazz Festival is a post from: Miles Davis Online

Of course, this was originally written when I was guessing the biopic would follow a “Ray” – ish blueprint. I was wrong. But that doesn’t mean Gil Evans still can’t show up in Don Cheadle’s vision for the Miles Davis Movie.

The Miles Davis Movie: Who Is Going To Play Gil Evans?

The Miles Davis-Gil Evans relationship fascinates me: two creative souls producing brilliant music together. I absolutely love the work they created; Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain are simply wonderful.

A musical partnership on par with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, I say.

Like Miles, Gil Evans was a Jazz Pioneer.

While he is likely most famous for collaborating with Miles Davis on a variety of seminal jazz records, a quick look at the projects where Evans took part as arranger, conductor or musician is to witness the evolution of jazz music.

So… who is going to play Gil Evans in the Miles Davis biopic?

I’ll just say that it’s an important role for the film – perhaps comparable to the role of Ahmet Ertegun, played by the talented Curtis Armstrong in “Ray.”

There are all these great anecdotes about Evans’ apartment behind a New York City Chinese laundry that turned into a hub for musicians to work on new music styles, breaking away from the prevailing bebop method.

So right there I see plenty of ideas for the film. Here’s Evans, working as arranger for Claude Thornhill’s orchestra (1941-1948), and then all of a sudden he’s partnering with Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan and many others on what would later become the Birth of the Cool project.

And then of course there’s Evans’ special relationship with Davis, which would produce their triumvirate of big band/orchestral jazz collaborations: Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain.

So who to get the nod? The Miles Davis/Gil Evans ‘partnership,’ I believe, is a vital element of the Miles Davis biopic. Look, they could make a movie about Gil Evans, so there’s no doubt he is a central figure to not only the life and music of Miles Davis but to jazz music as a whole.

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives

Miles Davis And Gil Evans: Musical Soul Mates is a post from: Miles Davis Online

Sure, no one still has a clue what he means when he calls the movie ‘a gangster pic’, but that just adds to the fun!

Cheadle has been nice enough to clear things up about the film’s narrative, which will not be a typical, cradle-to-grave story, rather a ‘cubist’ approach. It’s all about the Deconstructed Biopic, which I wrote about a few years back on the biopic blog.

The movie, as it stands, takes place in late 1979 and covers “a day and a half of his life — a very intense day and a half of his life…”, which is how Cheadle explained it to Collider.com almost a year ago.

It seems the film will still pinpoint other, notable points in the jazz legend’s life and career. This is good, especially if we are to have scenes of Cheadle performing as Davis, because in 1979 Miles was not playing much.

One thing Cheadle mentions in the WSJ interview is a ‘studio offer’.

“We’re trying to back into a budget number,” says Cheadle, “like we always have to do, without gutting the piece.”

He doesn’t mention the studio, or any of the folks involved. As far as I can tell nothing has happened with the studio deal. Perhaps it fell apart, or maybe everyone is just waiting for the right time to spill the details.

Cheadle looks to be as committed as ever to the project, but his dance card is full these days with a Showtime series, the Iron Man movies, and other projects in development. Scheduling was always going to be an issue, regardless of when the Miles Davis Movie finally was given the green light — green for money.

Even with the competing biopic, with George Tillman Jr. attached to direct, what gives the Cheadle project the edge is Cheadle himself, still the best choice to play Miles Davis among known acting talent, and access to all the music. Sure, maybe a few years here and there are out of reach, but all the big tunes, the music that fans demand be included in the film, and will also help market the hell out of this picture, is Cheadle’s for the taking. The Cheadle/music catalog connection is what will drive this project forward, hopefully towards a production start date.

I know what amounts to nothing, so I am clueless as to the current status of the project. But that 2013 next to the film listed on IMDB is starting to feel like a long-shot. I’d guess 2014 is more likely.

The Miles Davis Movie: Let’s Look At This Thing From A Standpoint Of Status is a post from: Miles Davis Online

As mentioned in January, the stamps are being issued this year as part of a joint issue with USPS and French postal service, La Poste.

Check out this terrific column by Greg Breeding about his assignment to design the stamps commemorating both Miles Davis and Edith Piaf.

The Miles Davis Stamp: Release Date Announced For New Miles Davis Stamp is a post from: Miles Davis Online

We begin the second collection of the Artist Series with the wonderfully talented Tobias Hall, an illustrator/designer/muralist based in London.

Among his exciting collection of artwork is a fantastic Miles Davis illustration (above). You can also view an absolutely gorgeous mural here featuring Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson and Max Roach. Other murals created by Hall include a superb Nina Simone located in a South London bedroom, and an outstanding Winston Churchill created for a Zizzi restaurant in South Woodford.

Speaking of Zizzi Ristorante, Hall has been working closely with the popular eatery as part of the design team, lending a creative hand with everything from photography to graphic design and art direction.

Besides the Miles Davis, other personal favorites in Hall’s collection includes the Roger Federer, the Lionel Messi, and his David Bowie-inspired murals and painted tables completed for Zizzi in David Bowie’s home town of Beckenham. Hall’s art prints are also available for purchase. Click here to have a look.

As a new fan of Hall’s work, I was determined to track down the artist and ask him as few questions about Miles Davis, his creative process, and what’s next.

Miles Davis Online: You feature such a wonderful variety of designs and illustrations. And in the middle of it all – Miles Davis. What led you to creating the artwork Miles Davis – Kind of Blue?
Tobias Hall: I’ve got a pretty big passion for music of all sorts, and it’s a real ambition of mine to create art to go alongside it, be that in the form of gig posters, album art, whatever. I started getting into Jazz and Blues in a big way towards the end of university, so the first Miles Davis piece was really just a natural response to that.

Miles Davis Online: And what exactly is the creative process behind this type of illustration?
Tobias Hall: It all starts with the music itself really, it’s always playing whenever I work. Once I have a general idea of composition/concept it’s just a case of drawing out the separate elements by hand, then layering, colouring and texturing them in Photoshop.

Miles Davis Online: As for the wonderful Jazz Legends mural: was Miles Davis always in your vision to be part of the mural design? Also, how long did the process take to complete?
Tobias Hall: The mural was created for a restaurant in sunny Croydon, London. They often hold nights of live jazz music, so I thought it would be cool to depict some of Jazz’s most famous faces. A Jazz ‘super band’ if you like. Naturally, Miles had to be a part of it. The mural took around a day and a half to paint.

Miles Davis Online: Who are some artists of the past and present that have inspired you?
Tobias Hall: The two main artists to have influenced my work are Keith Haring and David Foldvari. It’s a funny one, because stylistically the two are very different, but both have inspired me in equal measure.

Miles Davis Online: Are you working on anything special at the moment?
Tobias Hall: I have just finished some album artwork for Canadian folk musician Del Barber, who’s album is released on the 1st May, and there is talk of a huge music-themed mural project for a hotel in the pipeline, but that hasn’t been confirmed as of yet. I spend most of my days as an in-house illustrator/designer for a restaurant chain here in the UK, working on everything from menus to photography or art direction. It’s good fun.

Miles Davis Online: Might you revisit Miles Davis in your work?
Tobias Hall: No doubt. Jazz music as a whole continues to influence my practice, and with Miles being such an enigmatic fellow, I’m sure I’m bound to explore him and his music a bit more in the future.

Miles Davis Online: Favorite Miles Davis album?
Tobias Hall: Round About Midnight.

© Tobias Hall. All artwork, and images of artwork are property of Tobias Hall. All rights reserved.

The Miles Davis Online Interview: Tobias Hall is a post from: Miles Davis Online

The seventh annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 at 5:00 p.m on the campus of Lewis and Clark Community College in the Trimpe Building. Four bands will pay homage to the iconic stature of Miles Davis. Saxophonist Fred Walker, vocalist Danita Mumphord, trumpeter Jim Manley and from St. Louis, the Soulard Blues Band have been booked for this special evening of entertainment.

Event organizers are anticipating community support to make this a concert not to be missed. “We have a variety of musicians that we hope will encourage people to attend, ” said Lee Barham, event chairman. “Miles Davis was known for not being shy and stretching the boundaries of his talent. We believe we’ve assembled a diversity of bands that will appeal to area music lovers.”

The concert in past years has been the occasion to offer a $250 jazz scholarship to a deserving student. This year the committee is granting two scholarships so there’s an increased excitement. “For two years we’ve given one scholarship each year. We wanted to contribute more than we’ve had in the past, so we’ve upped our commitment and will present two scholarships at this year’s event, ” Barham added.

Via Jazz News

* The official website has not yet been updated.

Miles Davis Jazz Festival Set For May 19 is a post from: Miles Davis Online

For any fan of Miles Davis, I highly recommend checking out The Miles Files from CBC Music.

Produced for CBC Radio 2’s Tonic, and CBC Music’s jazz department, The Miles Files is designed to…

…paint Davis in a new light by putting you into the shoes of what it might have felt like to be the legend. Just like you, Davis was a kid, then a teenager, a student, a youngster, a dreamer, a wannabe and an achiever.

His life had light and dark. It also had shadows. The Miles Files imagines you right there with Davis, and even as Davis while he embarks on an incredible, day-by-day journey as just a regular guy finding his way.

The debut post is titled Miles Davis’ First Teacher, which was just followed up with part 2, When Bebop Came To Town.

The posts are short, to the point, and pack a lot of great information about the jazz legend. Both have been written by talented jazz vocalists/host of Tonic (CBC Radio 2) Tim Tamashiro.

Up next: ‘the Juilliard scam.’ 

This is a terrific idea all around, and I will definitely be following the series.

It’s Miles Davis Up Close And Personal In New Blog Series is a post from: Miles Davis Online

1. Rats on cocaine love Miles Davis, and other dumb animal research paid for with tax dollars

The research found that sober rats don’t really like music that much. After the silence, the rats liked Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” more than Miles Davis’s iconic jazz tune “Four.” But when the rats were given doses of cocaine, their tasted shifted and they gravitated toward the jazz. [nydailynews.com]

2. Miles Davis and Steve McQueen

Undeniably simple, undeniably cool. [Tomorrow Started]

3. Hidden Gems: Miles Davis’ “Dark Magus”

There are loud peaks and quiet valleys on Dark Magus, but there’s always something going on. [Magnet Magazine]

4. Brazilian jazz sorcerer incorporates range of instruments

Slowly but surely, Hermeto Pascoal gained fame in his native Brazil by releasing several albums, according to the Hopkins Center’s program notes. His big break, however, came in 1971 when he appeared on Miles Davis’ album “Live Evil.” To this day, Pascoal reveres Davis as a godlike figure.

“Miles Davis is an eternal human being — he was and is,” Pascoal said. [The Dartmouth]

5. A Hidden Gem on the Greatest Jazz Album of All Time

Anyway, blah blah jazz blah. I want to tell you about the hidden gem of Kind of Blue, the track that I used to never, ever listen to, but is now my favorite. I’m talking about the last track on the album, “Flamenco Sketches.” [kotaku.com]

Miles Davis | Around The Web is a post from: Miles Davis Online