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Miles Davis Celebrates 100th, Jazz Legend of “Cool” and “Blue”

5/27/2026

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Summary

Miles Davis 100

Miles Davis turned 100 on May 26, 2026 in the United States.
Miles Davis entered bebop in 1945, replacing Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker’s quintet in St. Louis.
Miles Davis's nonet recorded the Birth of the Cool sessions, released by Capitol in 1957.
Miles Davis's 1959 album Kind of Blue with John Coltrane and Bill Evans became the best-selling jazz record.

Summary

Miles Davis Redefines

Kind of Blue introduced modal playing, cutting rapid chord changes and featuring a sextet of Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.
Critics rank it with A Love Supreme as top jazz record, though some listeners call it overplayed like Yesterday.
So What, Freddie Freeloader and All Blues dominate airplay while Miles Davis’s trumpet leads and frees, Blue in Green and Flamenco Sketches receiving less exposure.

Summary

Miles Davis Tributes

Nancy Wilson presented two hour-long Jazz Profiles specials that examine Miles Davis’s artistic influence.
NPR’s 2000 “The NPR 100” series listed Kind of Blue among the 100 most important works.
Fresh Air aired a seven-minute 1991 obituary by Kevin Whitehead that focused on Davis’s musical contributions.
Terry Gross’s reputation and the station’s archive, dating to 1982, provide extensive Davis-related material for jazz listeners.

Summary

Dad Grass Launches

Dad Grass released a drink called Miles Davis Bitches Brew to honor the 1970 album.
Vince Wilburn Jr., co-executor of the Miles Davis Estate, says the family receives inquiries.
The centennial has spurred editions of Davis’s music, his autobiography, and a biopic about his teenage affair with singer Juliette Gréco.
Concerts are scheduled in U.S. cities throughout June, with the Miles Electric Band beginning its tour on June 19 in British Columbia.

History

Historical Context

When Miles Davis released Kind of Blue on August 17 1959, his sextet—including John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and pianist Bill Evans—recorded a modal jazz landmark that later earned 5 × Platinum certification for over five million U.S. sales and entry into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry (2002). In 2026 NPR and other partners marked the album’s enduring influence with specials and new projects.

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Miles Davis 100

Miles Davis turned 100 on May 26, 2026 in the United States.
Miles Davis entered bebop in 1945, replacing Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker’s quintet in St. Louis.
Miles Davis's nonet recorded the Birth of the Cool sessions, released by Capitol in 1957.
Miles Davis's 1959 album Kind of Blue with John Coltrane and Bill Evans became the best-selling jazz record.

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