By one of those combinations of fate that he would have liked so much, on the day of his centenary Sonny Rollins left us, the last hero of that unrepeatable season of jazz whose undisputed prince was Miles Davis. If you have never heard anything by Miles Davis, try listening to the beginning of Générique, from the soundtrack of the film Elevator to the Gallows,
or Blue in green, from his masterpiece Kind of Blue.
And, if you are really allergic to jazz, you can turn to his solo in Dune moves by Zucchero. In all cases, a few, very few notes coming out of his trumpet are transformed into a majestic wave that makes even the most numb soul vibrate with emotion.
One of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century, capable like no one of breaking down the barriers between musical genres, from classical to jazz, from pop to rock, to ferry each towards unusual territories, would have turned one hundred on May 26th.
An anniversary celebrated throughout Italy with exhibitions and events, such as the Vicenza Jazz Festival which hosted a concert by Enrico Rava on 25 May. At eighty-six he is one of the most celebrated Italian musicians in the world and has been a devotee of Miles «ever since I heard his album, Blue Haze, as a kid. The unique sound of that trumpet blew my mind. As well as his ability to invent melodies by subtraction, working on the silences between the notes, in order to make each solo the story of a new story.”
Beyond his musical merits, why did Miles Davis become so famous beyond the world of jazz?
«Because he was a “big character”. I remember when, in 1956, he came to give a concert in Turin, where I grew up. He had the same effect on me as Marlon Brando did when he appeared in On the Waterfront. Anything could happen but, even if he remained still in a corner, the eyes were always and only for him. Miles had that same charisma. And that evening, even though there certainly weren’t today’s amplification systems, its incredible sound managed to invade every space of the theater.”
Then she also met him.
«We are in 1969, at Ungano’s in New York, a place where jazz musicians but also rockers like Jimi Hendrix play. I’m smoking my hundredth cigarette before playing with my band. At a certain point I see this black man, beautiful and very elegant with his fringed leather jacket, cowboy belt and afro hair. He comes over and asks me: “Will you play tonight? I’ll come and check on you…”. Then he went back and the crowd divided like the waters when Moses passed by.”
And then how did it go?
«I filled myself with tranquilizers and played well. Afterwards he came back and we chatted for a while. He told me he loved Italian cars and cuisine and that he was great at making sauce. Except that every time his bassist Paul Chambers arrived and spilled two liters of ketchup on it.”
Miles was far from the typical image of the black jazz musician growing up in the slums and struggling to survive.
«He came from a very wealthy family. His parents had a ranch and he regularly rode horses. When he moved to New York it was a shock, because he was the only rich one among other very poor musicians. Many exploited him for this. Charlie Parker, for example, kept asking him for money and at one point he practically showed up at his house. This is also why I believe he developed his well-known bad temper: he could be very nice as he had been with me or turn into a horrible man.”
Is it true that he often played with his back to the audience?
«He did it every now and then, but only because he was the leader of the band and wanted to look his musicians in the eye. No conductor is considered a villain because he turns his back to the audience.”
Was he also an important figure in the civil rights movement of the African-American community?
«Yes, he continued in the footsteps of Louis Armstrong who, with his success forty years earlier, had ensured that jazz was no longer a music played and listened to only by blacks. Miles has become a superstar for all audiences. But he was never a politician: he was well aware of the existing discrimination, but he always considered himself just a musician.”
Enrico Rava
(Roberto Cifarelli)
But what is the piece that breaks your heart every time?
«More than heartbreaking, it gives me enormous pleasure to listen to his live version of Stella by Starlight from 1964, a great example of Miles’ ability to bring out the best in his musicians. On stage, in addition to being a great soloist, like no one else he knew how to make others talk. And from mutual listening, sublime moments of collective music were born.”
Meanwhile in Pordenone, Miles Davis 100 – Listen to this! continues until 12 July at Villa Cattaneo, an exhibition conceived as an immersive experience, to be listened to before even observing thanks to an interactive archive with over 2 thousand official recordings that can be consulted through high-fidelity audio stations. Among the pieces on display:
the original Davis trumpet, photographs by Anthony Barboza, rare documents, vinyl, magazines and unpublished materials.
The program will also include meetings, listening guides and international guests, also enhancing the strong bond between Davis and Italy.
