The Last Miles
The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991
The story of the final recordings of one of the greatest jazz musicians of the twentieth century
Description
“Cole does for Miles’s late work what Ian MacDonald’s Revolution in the Head does for the Beatles, examining each album in meticulous detail.”
—Time Out
“As with any good musical biography, Cole . . . made me think again about those albums such as Siesta, You’re Under Arrest, and The Man with the Horn that are now stashed in my attic.”
—London Times
“In the flurry of books since [Miles Davis’s] death, none has dealt in depth with the music of this period. Music writer George Cole fills this gap. . . . a rich and rewarding read.”
—Gazette (Montreal)
“A fascinating book.”
—Mojo
“A singular look into the last stage of Davis’s long, somewhat checkered career gained from various sources, which at the same time gives a picture of the modern music business.”
—Midwest Book Review
“There are large chunks of fresh material here. . . . Fill[s] in quite a few gaps and dismisses blanket condemnations of [Miles’s] pop phase.”
—Jazzwise
“Thank you for telling it like it was!”
—Randy Hall, singer and guitarist
“Very moving, emotional material.”
—Gordon Meltzer, Miles’s last road manager and executive producer of Doo-Bop
George Cole was educated at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. He is a freelance music and technology journalist whose work has appeared in Music Week, Jazzwise, Financial Times, Sunday Times, Newsweek, Guardian, and other publications.
Reviews
"An important book. I'm sure it will enjoy great success."
- Brian Priestly, The Rough Guide to Jazz
—Brian Priestly, The Rough Guide to Jazz
"Very moving, emotional material."
- Gordon Meltzer, Miles' last road manager, executive producer *Doo-Bop*
—Gordon Meltzer, Miles' last road manager, executive producer Doo-Bop
"George Cole's writing, his choice of references, his descriptions of many incidents—it is all so clear and respectful and shows a deep understanding."
- Palle Mikkelborg, producer of *Aura*
—Palle Mikkelborg, producer of Aura
"I am really impressed by your attention to the details of all the experiences that the Chicago Group went through! I felt as though I was living through it all over again. Bravo! Thank you for telling it like it was!"
- Ranfy Hall, singer and guitarist
—Randy Hall, singer and guitarist
"There are large chunks of fresh material here...Fill[s] in quite a few gaps and dismisses blanket condemnations of [Miles's] pop phase."
- Stephen Graham
—Jazzwise
"A singular look into the last stage of Davis's long, somewhat checkered career gained from various sources; which at the same time gives a picture of the modern music business."
- Henry Berry
—Henry Berry, Midwest Book Review
"A fascinating book."
- Chris Ingham
—Mojo
". . . the first book to center exclusively on the music Davis made in the last decade of his life, and it is sure to satisfy the most serious Davis fans."
- SirReadalot.org
—SirReadalot.org
"In the flurry of books since [Miles Davis's] death, none has dealt in depth with the music of this period. Music writer George Cole fills this gap. . . . a rich and rewarding read."
- Irwin Block
—The Gazette (Montreal)
"As with any good musical biography, Cole had made me think again about those albums such as Siesta, You're Under Arrest, The Man with the Horn, that are now stashed in my attic."
- John Bungey
—The London Times
"Cole does for Miles' late work what Ian Macdonald's 'Revolution In The Head' does for The Beatles, examining each album in meticulous detail."
- John Lewis
—Time Out
"This book is a model of how these types of books should be. . . . If late-period Miles is in the readers' interest, the reader should rush out and purchase this volume. It is invaluable."
- Robert Iannapollo
—ARSC Journal