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One of my fondest memories of growing up is sitting in the living room with my Dad when he was playing his favorite LPs…the stories, the sounds, and the rhythms were just music to my ears and those bonding moments were the birth of my music obsession. So, on a recent Sunday afternoon, when my Hubby asked me to help alphabetize and organize his jazz LP collection, I jumped at the chance to share a few hours listening to…the stories, the sounds, and the rhythms of the jazz that he loved.

My two favorite men love music! Go figure!

My favorite jazz album is Kind of Blue, the undisputed coolest jazz album ever recorded by the child prodigy turned musician, composer and band leader. As rapper Q-Tip once said, “It’s like the Bible…you just have to have at least one in your house.” Accepted to Julliard in 1944, Miles moved to New York City, but only to be closer to two of his favorite jazz musicians — Charlie “Bird” Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. MILES DEWEY DAVIS was known for being brutally honest, uncompromising, timeless and visionary. And he is also responsible for introducing us to such jazz greats as Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Horace Silver and Percy Heath, so he was an incredible talent scout as well. Of course Miles inspired countless trumpet players, but none more than Chris Botti who has said that listening to ‘My Funny Valentine’ changed his life, so his depth of knowledge and passion for all things Miles is impressive. Chris did a podcast about Miles for Jazz Online and you should listen to it here. The first jazz artist to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, Miles was inducted into the Rock + Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and Don Cheadle has been cast to play Miles in an upcoming biopic. Well-deserved recognition for a man who consistently sought what was hip + happening and who educated us for over 50 years. Photos © Miles Davis Estate.