Throughout his very long, and sometimes very bizarre career, his appearance varied immeasurably from one time period to the next. Choose a Miles era.

In the early part of his career, Miles put together a quintet, and over the course of three weekends in New York, recorded what is now known as the essential jazz record of all time. Miles appears to be very relaxed, and very 'cool' on this album cover.

After the success of Kind of Blue, and his successful effort to quit heroin, Miles reunited the quintet for another great record, In a Silent Way.

As the 70s began, Miles' appearance, and his music, started to become more and more bizarre. This is a photo from a 1972 concert during the Bitches Brew tour.

As the 70s and 80s progressed, Miles got more and more into what is now known as 'acid jazz.' Here is a photo of Miles at the Monterey Jazz Festival circa 1977.

Davis suffered a stroke in 1982 that put him out of commission for most of the 1980s. After he came back in 1989, he began recording again, this time dabbling in hip hop and jazz. This is the cover of his last album, Doo-Bop, which was released in 1991, a year before his death.

To hear Miles' essential tune, "In a Silent Way", click here.

Sam Saunders
20 November 2002