Jazzman, Take My Blues Away
Lift me, won't you lift me, above the old routine;
Make it nice, play it clean—Jazzman!!!
When the Jazzman's testifyin', a faithless man believes
He can sing you into paradise, or bring you to your knees.
It's a gospel kind of feelin', a touch of Georgia slide,
A song of pure revival, and a style that's sanctified.
Jazzman, take my blues away;
Make my pain the same as yours with every change you play.
Jazzman, oh Jazzman!
When the Jazzman's signifyin', and the band is windin' low.
It's the late night side of morning in the darkness of his soul.
He can fill a room with sadness as he fills his horn with tears.
He can cry like a fallen angel when risin' time is near.
Jazzman, take my blues away;
Make my pain the same as yours with every change you play.
Oh lift me, won't you lift me with ev'ry turn around;
Play it sweetly, take me down, oh Jazzman.
—Carol King (1974)
★ Nine Time Grammy Winner ★
...Rolex Super Coolness...
Miles Davis
1926-1991
Jazz Superstar & Legend
Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date
Jazz music began purely as an American art form. Jazz music, borders between being esoteric and arcane. Jazz, typically, is an art form appreciated by an older sound palette than a younger one. In the first image seen below, Jazz Legend Miles Davis is wearing his trademark diamond encrusted Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date.
Miles Davis Photos above and below Appear Courtesy of Anthony Barboza
The Birth Of Cool
Miles "Dewey" Davis III., was born into an affluent family, and his father was a Doctor and oral surgeon. Miles mother, was a lovely women who played the violin and sang. His parents recognized early on that Miles was very musically talented.
Miles and attended the Juilliard School in New York City, but spend a lot of time around his idols including Jazz legend, Dizzy Gillespie. Miles Davis would attend Juilliard by day, and was mentored by Dizzy Gillespie by night on the neon streets of Broadway in New York Jazz Clubs. Miles was the first Jazz musician to play and record and Carnegie Hall in New York.
The King of BeBop
Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis both started performing and recording with jazz legend Charlie Parker in 1945, and we see Dizzy Gillespie playing trumpet side by side with Miles Davis in 1952. Dizzy was 9 years older than Miles.
If you look closely at the photo below, taken in the late 1950s, you will notice Dizzy Gillespie wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master, as the Jazzman plays his trumpet in front of Miles Davis.
"Years from now and through time, when people hear the lonely sound of a horn, they will be hearing Miles Davis." —Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie is pictured below with Miles Davis, working on a composition in Paris, France in 1958.
In 1956, Dizzie Gillespie became the worlds first formal Jazz ambassador when the State Department sent him on the worlds first world Jazz tour. Dizzy Gillespie famously wore his trademark Rolex GMT-Master.
Dizzy Gillespie is picture below in 1961 with jazz saxophone legend, John Coltrane, and if you look closely, you see Dizzy's Rolex Jubilee bracelet. Jazz was cool, and so was Rolex with Jazz.
Dizzy Gillespie is picture below wearing his Rolex GMT-Master on an Oyster Bracelet.
Brooks Brother
Miles Davis personal fashion history is absolutely fascinating. Miles Davis' father, was a Doctor, and dressed very conservatively, as did most Americans in the era he grew up in. Miles Initially started out in the 1950s and early 1960s exclusively wearing Brooks Brothers, like his father, Dr. Davis.
Basically, Miles Davis style of dress would be considered to be timeless, elegant, and even preppy, as seen in the photo below where he is wearing a Brooks Brothers button-down shirt. The classic Brooks Brothers button-down is characterized by its very full cut, longer collar, and lack of places buttons on the sleeve.
Miles Davis style of dress could even be referred to as being kind of 'Mod' in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This of course would all change in due time, as he explored and evolved into his own eclectic style, but if you think about it, the way he dressed in his early career was super classic and timeless, with a sense of charisma—much like a Rolex watch.
The Cool Jazz Sound
The following video is considered to be a seminal, high-water-mark time in Jazz History. Some say this was Miles Davis at his best. When he was still in his strick Brooks Brothers phase, and Eisenhower was still President of the U.S. Before the heavy funk set in...
The next video of the Miles Davis Quintet was filmed live on October 11, 1964 at Teatro dell'Arte in Milano, Italia, and is amazing!!!
In the image below, from 1967 I originally thought Miles Davis was wearing a Paul Newman Rolex Daytona, but after close scrutiny, I realized he is wearing a Breitling Navitimer.
The famous photo below shows Miles Davis chatting with The King Of Cool, Steve McQueen, in 1963 at the Monterey Jazz Festival. This photo was taken by my lifelong friend, Jim Marshall. Ironically, it was Jim Marshall who taught me how to use a camera when I was a 11 years old...
