In celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, we’re excited to share Episode 1 from The Miles Davis Story, the latest series of the Legend podcast.
Presented by acclaimed actor and longtime fan Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme, Da 5 Bloods), the 5-part series explores the life and legacy of a visionary artist whose relentless pursuit of the "new" often scorched his own life and the lives of those around him.
Across the series, Clarke charts Miles’s ever-evolving artform, starting with this first great transformation of a legend - when the young Miles chose to step into the unknown, seize control of his own creative destiny, and begin his journey as a leader.
This is episode one of the series, exploring how New York helped Davis discover a radical new sound. If you like what you hear, you can listen to every episode on BBC Sounds. Just search for ‘Legend’.
Miles Davis Interview: From Jazz Talking by Ben Sidran, 1986. The Arsenio Hall Show, Paramount, originally broadcast in 1989. 60 Minutes, CBS News. Originally broadcast in 1989
Featured tracks (in order of appearance) “So What” – Miles Davis “Blue in Green” – Miles Davis (feat. John Coltrane & Bill Evans) “Bitches Brew” – Miles Davis "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" - MIles Davis “Agitation” – Miles Davis “Flamenco Sketches” – Miles Davis & Bill Evans “Ko Ko” – Charlie Parker “Salt Peanuts” – Dizzy Gillespie "Jivin with Jack the Bellboy" - Miles Davis "Move" - Miles Davis "Moon Dreams" - Miles Davis "Boplicity" - Miles Davis
Presenter: Clarke Peters Series Producer: Clem Hitchcock Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Kirsten Lass Production Manager: Emily Duffy Music Consultant: Guy Barker Additional Music: Guy Barker Archivist: Simon Rooks Script Consultant: Anne Harbin Technical Production and Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby Commissioning Editors for the BBC: Dan Clarke and Matthew Dodd A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4