This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Some say Louis Armstrong is the most important figure in jazz. And fair enough; after all, you could argue that he practically invented it.
But with no disrespect to Louis, my vote goes to trumpet legend Miles Davis — because he reinvented jazz more than once during his incredible four-decade career. This extensive two-hour British documentary examines it all — his early days with be-bop Buddah Charlie Parker; his pioneering strides in cool jazz, post-bop and fusion; and his turbulent offstage life marked by drugs, domestic abuse and racism. Acres of rare live footage and plenty of interviews with musicians, ex-wives, various offspring — and the mercurial genius himself — make this indispensable for jazz buffs.
