The story of Miles Davis has often been told as the story of a drug-addled genius. He’s rarely depicted as a man that worked hard at honing his craft. A man who deeply studied and understood classical music, he could render ballads with such tenderness, yet hold rage in his heart from the racism he faced throughout his life. Director Stanley Nelson (THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION) unearths archival photos and home movies shot by Miles and his colleagues, as well as Miles’ manuscripts and original paintings—and deploys Miles’ own words to unpack the mythology surrounding him.
Featuring interviews with Jimmy Cobb, Lee Konitz, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Carlos Santana, The Roots, and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“If you're a Miles Davis fanatic from way back and think you already know everything about him, the movie, with its sharply edited interviews and stunning archival reach, fills in nuances of the man that feel fresh and new.” —Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Its emphasis is more social than musicological… ‘Treated as an equal’ in France, he would later say, [gave] him a new perspective… After returning to America, the letdown was intense enough to lead to a heroin addiction.” —John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter
“The movie offers something more valuable than a hagiography: a rich and bittersweet film that investigates, without romanticizing, some of the anguish that lurked beneath the cool.” —Ted Scheinman, Washington City Paper
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