where the children would spend their days horseback riding and hunting on the land in the summer . In 1927 , the family moved to East St . Louis , Illinois , where they lived in an apartment on the second floor behind Miles Sr .’ s dental o ce . As the Great Depression took hold of the country , Davis ’ s father became consumed by his job , leaving less and less time for his children . As Miles grew older , he only saw his father one day per week . When Davis reached his 13th birthday , his mother and father entered into a big debate - whether their son should learn to play the trumpet or the violin . Ultimately , Miles Sr . presented his son with the brass instrument as his gift , causing Cleota to storm out of the room . Luckily , she soon accepted his decision . Elwood Buchanan , a patient and drinking buddy of Davis ’ s father , was hired as his son ’ s first teacher . By high school , Buchanan was not only giving private lessons , but he was also the band teacher at Davis ’ s school as well . In one formative moment that stayed with Davis for the rest of his life , Buchanan stopped the music to compliment him on his vibrato , saying he had “ enough talent ” to create his own style . While playing with the band , Davis was encouraged to enter the local music competitions by his thengirlfriend , Irene Birth . Years later , Davis recounted those days saying that because it was a predominantly white neighborhood , he felt discriminated against because of his race . He also added that those experiences inspired him to become an even greater musician . By age 16 , Davis was studying music theory and playing his music professionally at the local Elks Club in his spare time . A devoted brother , he used part of his earnings to assist his sister with her college tuition . With additional encouragement from Birth and Buchanan , Davis accepted a chair in the Rhumboogie Orchestra , better known as the Blue Devils . In retrospect , Davis said he considered that job the most important of his career . While playing with Eddie Randle ’ s band The Blue Devils for a year , Sonny Stitt recognized Davis ' s great talent and skill . In an e ort to poach him , Stitt o ered Davis a spot in Tiny Bradshaw ’ s band which was passing through town . Excited and eager , the high schooler approached his mother to ask if he could join them on tour . Of course , Cleota quickly objected , insisting that her son finish high school and obtain his degree .
Davis later admitted that he didn ’ t speak to his mother for a full two weeks after their conversation . He also quickly added that he didn ’ t go on tour either . The young musician did graduate in January 1944 . The following month , he and Irene Birth welcomed their daughter Cheryl to the world . Once graduated from high school , Davis accepted a position at the Institute of Musical Arts in New York City , now known as Julliard . By 1945 , he dropped out . In his autobiography , Davis recalled his time at the prestigious school as being boring , “ whiteoriented ,” and “ racist .” One example of his negative experience included a white female teacher who claimed that black people played the blues because they were impoverished and were cotton-pickers . Davis ’ s response ? He raised his hand and said , “ I ’ m from East St . Louis , and my father is rich , he ’ s a dentist , and I play the blues . My father didn ’ t never pick no cotton , and I didn ’ t wake up this morning sad and start playing the blues . There ’ s more to it than that .” Davis had no regrets leaving Julliard behind . He was already entertaining audiences with jazz greats such as Charlie Parker . Miles Davis had been a huge fan of Charlie “ Bird ” Parker since he saw him perform with the Billy Eckstein band in St . Louis in 1944 . At the time , their third trumpeter , Buddy Anderson , had to quit the band due to a case of tuberculosis , so Davis was asked to stand in . The brief collaboration had Davis determined to move to New York and reunite with Parker once again . While studying at Julliard , Davis frequented the jazz clubs hoping to track Parker down despite warnings from his friend , saxophonist Coleman Hawkins . Hawkins knew that Parker would be a bad influence on the young trumpeter because of his addiction to heroin . Determined to play with his idol , Davis ignored the warnings , befriended Parker , and eventually became his roommate for over a year . Aside from Charlie Parker , Miles Davis had an appreciation for many musicians who played a wide range of instruments . After he left Julliard , Davis remained friends with a classmate there by the name of Herbie Fields , who had a band of his own . Fields asked Davis to stand in as sideman for the band , giving him his first experience recording in a studio on April 24 , 1945 . Another of Davis ’ s idols was the legendary big band conductor Duke Ellington .
Flashmag ! Issue 143 August 2023
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