Davis left Juilliard early, having first asked permission from his father. He did not like the classes at Juilliard because he thought they focused too much on classical European and "white" music. He also said that his Juilliard classes helped him to understand music theory.
He began playing professionally in many jazz groups, performing in several 52nd Street clubs with Coleman Hawkins and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. In 1945, he went into a recording studio for the first time, as a member of the group of Herbie Fields. In 1946 he made his first recording as a bandleader, with a group called "Miles Davis Sextet plus Earl Coleman and Ann Hathaway". He did not make many recordings as a bandleader at this time.
Around 1945, Dizzy Gillespie stopped working with Parker and Parker hired Davis as Gillespie's replacement in his quintet. Also in the group were Max Roach at the drums, Al Haig (replaced later by Sir Charles Thompson and Duke Jordan) at the piano, and Curley Russell (later replaced by Tommy Potter and Leonard Gaskin) as bass player.
With Parker's quintet, Davis recorded several times. He had a solo on Parker's signature song, "Now's the Time". This solo led to the beginning of a style of jazz called "cool jazz". The group also toured the United States. During a tour in Los Angeles, Parker had a nervous breakdown and went to the Camarillo State Mental Hospital for several months. Davis found himself stuck in L.A. He stayed with, and played music with jazz musician Charles Mingus. Later he got a job with Billy Eckstine on a California tour that brought him back to New York. In 1948, Parker returned from Los Angeles, and Davis joined his group again.
The musicians in Parker's group were not getting on very well. Parker's behavior was unpredictable because of his drug addiction. Davis and Roach did not agree with Parker hiring Duke Jordan as a pianist and would have preferred Bud Powell). In December 1948, Davis left the group after an argument with Parker at the "Royal Roost". He began to work more independently with different groups in New York.
In 1948 Davis grew close to the Canadian composer and music arranger Gil Evans. Davis used to meet other musicians at Evans' house, like Roach, the pianist John Lewis and the baritone saxophone player Gerry Mulligan. Evans had been the arranger for the orchestra of Claude Thornhill and it was the sound of this group, as well as Duke Ellington's example, that inspired the creation of a large group including a french horn and a tuba.
Davis took a very active role in the project, and it soon became "his project". They tried to achieve a sound similar to a human voice, over carefully arranged compositions.
The group first played in the summer of 1948 at the Royal Roost. They were active to the end of 1949 and had several changes of musician. There were many white musicians in the group and this made some African American jazz players angry. Many of them were unemployed at the time. Davis did not listen to them.
The group got a recording contract with Capitol Records and they had several recording sessions between January 1949 and April 1950. This music was released on an album called "Birth of the Cool". This album gave its name to a new style of jazz called "cool jazz". Davis knew how important his project was and even turned down a job with Duke Ellington's orchestra. This group also led to the beginning of the lifelong friendship between Davis and Gil Evans.
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a group of musicians. Bandleaders often lead large groups that play genres like big band, jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The bandleader directs the other musicians in the group. Bandleaders often perform in their groups as well. Sometimes bands are named after their bandleaders.
Neglect
Neglect is a kind of abuse where a person harms another person by not giving them the things they need to live. For example, a parent or caregiver may neglect a child by not giving them enough food, clothing, hygiene, medical care, affection or education; this is a form of child abuse. Victims of neglect are those that need looking after, like children, physically or mentally disabled adults, elderly people, medical patients, animals or plants.
Josef Mysliveček
Josef Mysliveček (born Prague, 9 March 1737; died Rome, 4 February 1781) was a Czech composer in the classical music period. Although his music is not often performed these days he composed a lot of attractive music which often sounds like Mozart. During the 1770s he was a good friend of the Mozart family.
Josef Mysliveček was born near Prague. He was a twin. His father was a miller who had quite a lot of money. After he left school he became a miller in the family business. He also studied music. He had already been a chorister in the choir of St Michal’s church where Felix Benda was choirmaster. From 1760 he studied counterpoint with František Habermann and organ with Josef Seger. He started to compose. He wrote six sinfonias which were called after the first six months of the year (in the Czech language the months have names which are about the seasons).
When his father died Mysliveček decided to become a composer. He left the family business to his younger brother. He wanted to learn more about composing so, in 1763, he travelled to Venice to study with Giovanni Pescetti. In Italy he became known as "Il Boemo" ("the Bohemian") and also "Venatorini", "the little hunter," which is what his name means literally. Most composers in those days were employed by rich nobles or rulers, but Mysliveček earned his living through teaching, performing, and composing music. He often got sums of money from rich people who liked his music. Although he came from a rich family he was careless with his money. When he died he was very poor.
Mysliveček stayed in Italy for the rest of his life. He only revisited Prague once (in 1767-68). Several of his operas were performed there. He also went to Vienna in 1773 and Munich from 1776-1778. He composed operas for several Italian theatres. He met Mozart in Bologna in 1770. Mozart was only 14 at the time. He was good friends with the Mozart family until 1778 when the Mozarts broke off their friendship because Mysliveček promised, but then did not arrange for Mozart to write an opera for the theatre in Naples.
Mysliveček had many sexual relationships during his life, although we do not know the names of his lovers. In the end he became ill with syphilis. He was very ill during the last part of his life. His face became a very strange shape, apparently because he was operated on by a bad surgeon. Mozart was very upset when he saw him looking so ill.
A lot of his music sounds like some of the early works of Mozart. Mozart, in return, uses several musical themes from compositions by Mysliveček. He also made an arrangement of an operatic aria by Mysliveček's: "Il caro mio bene". Mozart changed the words and wrote "Ridente la calma," KV 152 (K⁶ 210a) for soprano with piano accompaniment.
He wrote twenty-six opera seria, more than any other composer at that time. They are full of da capo arias in which the singers can show off their technique. His orchestral music does not sound Czech, it is much more Italian in style. However, some of his chamber music has some Czech folk tunes.
His other pieces include oratorios, symphonies, concertos, and chamber music, including some of the earliest known string quintets composed with two violas. He was also one of the first composers to write good music for wind ensemble. He wrote some excellent violin concertos.
Freeman, Daniel E. "Josef Mysliveček, "Il Boemo": the Man and His Music". Sterling Heights, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 2009.
Ainaži
Ainaži is a town in Latvia with town rights since 1926.
Aizkraukle
Aizkraukle is a town in Latvia with town rights since 1967.
Aizpute
Aizpute is a town in Latvia with town rights since 1378.
Aknīste
Aknīste is a town in Latvia with town rights since 1991.