Miles Ahead
Sketches of Pain
(DVD release per Icon Film Distribution)
I have lost count of the number of times I have recommended to other musicians (and often gifted a copy of) ‘Miles The Autobiography’ by Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe. Because it’s a gritty tome tackling the trumpeter’s trials and troubles and until you read this book it’s not clear just how difficult it must have been to be a black musician throughout the jazz star’s many creative decades. Here was an artist who turned his back on the easiest thing a performer can do – repeat big successes ad infinitum. I do recall so-called jazz conneisseurs whining every time Miles brought out a new album..mainly because it wasn’t Kind Of Blue Volume 8. Whilst all I could hear was a very creative and brave musician trying different material and varying lineups. Miles would say : ‘Don’t play what you know – play what you don’t know’.
Cosiness is what makes much recorded and live music dull and uninspiring. Whatever you play or sing and whatever league you are in, there is a way to be brave and a route to a sparky rendition. It’s one reason why I hate rehearsals !
I always thought it must be great to play with Miles. I know from speaking with guitar ace friends Steve Lukather of Toto and moreover jazz-blues alchemist Robben Ford who spent time touring in Miles’ band that it was one hell of a trip. And a life-changing one at that. Many years ago I found out that Miles Davis was to play at London’s Royal Festival Hall and I wanted to take my entire band of the day to see him, to give them a Damascus. It was sold out but I kept asking the venue to let me buy seats. Hence after they eventually relented I led my ensemble into the venue and then out to our seats behind the drumkit ! so we were a few feet at most from all the musicians. Davis said nothing during the performance. He did hold up large cards after solo’s stating the first name of the players – ‘Kenny’, ‘Foley’. When not playing that silvery muted trumpet, adorned in Ronald Isley style finery, Miles would walk over to an electronic keyboard and play spidery fills and cloudy chords. The young bass player had Davis play a sequence of notes at him which the bass strings duplicated. Then again. And then Miles walked away to let the kid vamp around the pattern. Five minutes later the solo ended and the player was soaked in sweat. During the applause, a hint of a nod from Davis and the name card help aloft. It was Miles’ last show in the UK…
OK you get it, I am a fan. Cut to Chelsea’s well-run 606 Club and we are at the DVD launch of the Miles Ahead film, sandwiched by two sets from Martin Shaw and his terrific band. The style of the film is impressionistic. It seems to mainly settle in the period 1976-81 when Miles was not releasing any music. Well, rather he wasn’t giving any tapes to his record label due to a fog of mistrust and general communication breakdown. We see the musician frustrated, mistrustful, embittered, amused, in love and out of love. The screenplay allows for bursts of music from various eras. It is tender, reflective, snarling, bruising..always colourful. We can identify various group members here and there as the contemporary Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane. Ewan McGregor makes a good hand of his part as the semi-hypnotised and insistent journalist attempting to land a clear story but instead getting caught up in the saturnine lifestyle , routines and maverick happenings that constituted Davis’ lifestyle at that point.
The film grips your attention, dipping back into past studio sessions and sensual encounters as it goes. The casting is supernatural, every actor and especially Miles’ partner gives a ring of truth into the psychedelic narrative (of sorts) as its fragments build a picture.
In the epicentre of this project and almost because of a chance remark at an Awards show by Miles’ nephew re the notion of the star playing the man – an astonishing and multi-faceted portrayal by Don Cheadle. Donald Frank Cheadle Jnr of Kansas City and a far cry from being War Machine in Captain America. Cheadle is a craftsman and his family situation underlines this, with two creative daughters and an actress wife Bridgid who he met on the set of ‘Roseland’ in 1997. The rasping voice is captured and peppers the dialogue with sarcasm, annoyance, cussing and heartfelt advice. The character has to constantly reassert himself in the company of those not sharing his visions or parting with the artist’s financial dues. But what could be annoying simply adds to the characterisation. Tour de force can be an overused phrase but it’s what we have here.
The musical coda presenting a Miles’ electric lineup – I’d guess at We Want Miles period on the timeline – is loud, blaring, deep and exciting…we spotted Hancock and guitar man Gary Clark Jnr. Bear in mind that rather than stooge the musical playing, Cheadle learned trumpet to portray the creator. The jagged style of the film is not everyone’s tumbler of brandy….but would a straight bio-pic really have done justice to the jazz star? I suggest not.
Pete Sargeant
‘Miles Ahead’ is out now on DVD and Blu-ray on Icon Film Distribution.
(Many thanks to Simon Bell, Jack Wiggs, Georgie Rennie and Mike Hird at Premier Comms for all of their help with this review and to Mr Cheadle who kindly retweeted our earlier trailer piece for this film release )
