Simon & Schuster Publishes Centennial Edition of Miles: The Autobiography With New Forewords by Nas and Hanif Abdurraqib

About the author:

Miles Davis (1926-1991) fundamentally reshaped modern music across five decades of relentless reinvention. From pioneering bebop and cool jazz to defining hard bop, modal improvisation, and electric fusion, Davis treated each genre breakthrough as a starting point rather than a destination. His discography reads like a timeline of jazz's evolution: Birth of the Cool, Kind of Blue (the best-selling jazz album of all time), Sketches of Spain, In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, and dozens more albums that continue to define both the essence and the outer limits of improvised music.

Davis's genius extended beyond composition and performance. His studio innovations with producer Teo Macero established templates for modern music production. His ensembles functioned as talent accelerators, launching the careers of John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, and countless others who would themselves become legends. His influence spans generations: he remains one of the most sampled artists in hip-hop, with his recordings serving as foundations for Kendrick Lamar, Madlib, and A Tribe Called Quest.

His accolades include eight Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, eleven recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, stars on both the Hollywood and St. Louis Walks of Fame, and a Congressional resolution honoring Kind of Blue's 50th anniversary in 2009.

Beyond music, Davis established himself as a style icon (#1 on GQ's Most Stylish Musicians of All Time), visual artist (paintings exhibited across four continents), and symbol of artistic independence.