Ever since Stanley Nelson’s documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Miles fans have been waiting to hear about a general release date for the film. Now the word is finally out; the distribution company Abramorama, in association with Eagle Rock Entertainment, has announced that the Miles doc will start its theatrical run at the Film Forum in New York on Friday, August 23, followed by the Landmark in Los Angeles on Friday, August 30, and in additional markets beginning in September. The first official trailer for the film has also been released—see below.
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool was produced with the full cooperation of the Miles Davis Estate and features a great deal of never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from Davis’ recording sessions and rare photos. As can be seen and heard in the trailer, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Quincy Jones, and Carlos Santana are just a few of the luminaries who were newly interviewed for the film. Advance press from the Sundance world premiere was overwhelmingly positive, with Variety calling it “a tantalizing portrait” and Rolling Stone labeling it “essential.”
Go to milesdavismovie.com for more information on the film.
Read Lee Mergner’s interview with director Stanley Nelson about Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool. And look for much more about Davis in the October issue of JazzTimes.
