New York, NY (Top40 Charts) American Masters presents the broadcast premiere of award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson's deep dive into the world of a beloved musical giant. AMERICAN MASTERS - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which earned a Grammy nomination in the "Best
Music Film" category, premieres nationwide Tuesday, February 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/milesdavis and the PBS Video app in honor of
Black History Month.
A visionary known for his restless aesthetic, Davis is widely regarded as one of the most innovative, influential and respected figures in music. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from his recording sessions, rare photos and new interviews.
Quincy Jones,
Carlos Santana, Clive Davis, Wayne Shorter, Davis's son Erin Davis and nephew Vince Wilburn, bassist and Davis collaborator Marcus Miller, and Ron Carter are just a few of the luminaries weighing in on the life and career of the cultural icon.
American Masters - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool takes a hard look at the mythology that surrounds the legend. "The story of Miles Davis - who he was as a man and artist - has often been told as the tale of a drug-addled genius," said Nelson. "You rarely see a portrait of a man that worked hard at honing his craft, a man who deeply studied all forms of music, from Baroque to classical Indian. An elegant man who could render ballads with such tenderness yet hold rage in his heart from the racism he faced throughout his life. He could be romantic and pursue women relentlessly, yet treat them with cruelty upon winning them over. He could be extremely generous, yet rescind that generosity on a whim."
The documentary delves into the six-decade career of the musical genius: from his days as a Juilliard student to the development of his Signature Sound on recordings with his famous quintet, from his collaborations with Gil Evans to his shifts to new musical paradigms in the 70s and 80s. As the film tracks Davis's boundary-breaking musical triumphs, the meanderings of his complicated personal life are told with intimate reflections from those closest to him. Previously unseen footage and a soundtrack full of Davis's music are complemented by new interviews with friends, fellow musicians, collaborators and scholars to create a full portrait of the complex man. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and had a successful limited theatrical run, tells the story of a truly singular talent and unpacks the man behind the horn.
In conjunction with the broadcast premiere of AMERICAN MASTERS - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool in February, Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony
Music Entertainment, will release "Miles Davis -
Music From and Inspired by Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, a Film by Stanley Nelson."
American Masters, THIRTEEN's award-winning biography series, celebrates our arts and culture. Launched in 1986, the series set the standard for documentary film profiles, accruing widespread critical acclaim and earning 28 Emmy Awards - including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special - 14 Peabodys, an Oscar, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards and many other honors. AMERICAN MASTERS is available for streaming simultaneously on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video app, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. PBS station members can view episodes via Passport (contact your local PBS station for details).
American Masters - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool is a Firelight Media/Eagle Rock Films Production for AMERICAN MASTERS
Pictures and Eagle Rock Entertainment in association with BBC Music. Produced and directed by Stanley Nelson. Produced by
Nicole London. Executive produced by Terry Shand and Geoff Kempin for Eagle Rock Entertainment; Darryl Porter, Erin Davis, Cheryl Davis, and Vince Wilburn for Miles Davis Properties, LLC; and Michael Kantor for American Masters.
Funding for AMERICAN MASTERS - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool is provided by
David and Lisa Grain, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Jody and John Arnhold, and The
Leslie and Roslyn Goldstein Foundation.
Major support for AMERICAN MASTERS is provided by AARP. Additional support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rosalind P. Walter, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation,
Ellen and
James S. Marcus,
Judith and Burton Resnick, Vital Projects Fund, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, The
Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, The André and
Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, Seton J. Melvin, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, and public television viewers.
