Once upon a time, I was actually a young trumpet playing child prodigy. From an early age, I was obsessed with everything that had to do with the trumpet and anything jazz related. I used to love hearing music from all the great trumpet players: Wynton Marsalis, Clifford Brown, Louis Armstrong, and especially Dizzy Gillespie. But nothing came close to the distinct sound and unique style of Miles Davis. There was just something different about him and how he played. I was so heavily influenced by his style and sound. I wanted to be exactly like this man when I was a kid.
Sometime around 1957, he released an album called “The Birth of the Cool.” For many Jazz artists, trumpet players or not, this album played a pivotal role in developing a new style called “Cool Jazz,” a subgenre of Jazz that was made up of mostly relaxed tempos and much lighter tones than that which came before it.
Another thing I find so interesting about Miles Davis and his “Birth of the Cool” is its parallels to certain aspects of design. Both The Cool and contemporary graphic design emphasize minimalism, simplicity and pivotal innovation. Just as Mile’s Davis broke away from the traditional sounds of Jazz like bebop and created a more relaxed and sophisticated sound, graphic designers do the same in that we often strip design problems down to their essentials and put a focus on clarity and impact. Which I think is so important for so many different reasons.
Thanks for this post. I agree that many elements of visual and aural communication are structured similarly. And both can be used to give messages, and communicate about feelings. I also agree and admire graphic design around mid-20th century NYC jazz record covers.
Hope you can continue to play music somehow. Very interesting to know that you played trumpet when you were younger!