EVENT REVIEW: We Want Miles: le Jazz face à sa légende (Paris)

Standing in the queue for the museum of the Cité de la Musique’s wide hall, the air that should have been chilling is more than warm. It’s Love. It’s Miles Davis love.

From 16 of October until 17 of January, the exhibition We Want Miles celebrates Miles Davis‘ genius, inspiration and prolific work. Numerous shy, rare, and previously unseen artefacts support this retrospective of one of the most influential and vanguard musicians, thanks to the generosity, involvement and documents of Miles Davis Properties. In addition to the exhibition are a season of film screenings and concerts – the first days of the concert series was opened by the bands of Jimmy Cobb, Joe Lovano and Wayne Shorter. Now that’s a celebration.

We Want Miles, titled after his 1981 album, is a treat for the senses. The purposefully darkly lit rooms throughout induce a switch from relying on eyesight to relying on ear-sight and what better homage to pay to such an icon. He sings for us all the way through – no it’s not trumpet playing it had become his vocal cords. He plays, charms and hums to an audience enthralled, hanging to his legendary lip.

The exhibition is organised chronologically on two floors, one floor for the acoustic years and one floor for the electric years, 800 dedicated square meters exhibiting photos, paintings, albums, musical instruments, screen footages, televised concerts and interviews, music scores, stage clothes, all presented with explanatory notes, anecdotes and plug-in sound boxes with Miles’ music… he must be here too.

Serpentine corridors like the Saint Louis river flow along Miles’ journey from his beginnings there until Paris in La Villette in 1991. The black felt walls and soft lighting on each exhibits allow striking highlights of artefacts such as paintings from Michel Basquet, private family photos, paintings by Mati Klarwein used for album covers such as Bitches Brew, photos of graceful Miles in a black & red portrait in Cafe Bohemia by Marvin Koner, and two black & white portraits of Miles by Annie Leibovitz used for the Doo Bop album to name but my favourite.

On display are several instruments, by fellow musicians as well as trumpets Miles owned at various periods. Of these trumpets: all are colour customised – tinted in blue-green, black and copper, or lush red and gold, all Martin models and all are engraved with Miles’ name (next to the trumpets: Martin), a musical marriage of man and instrument sealed by careful inscriptions.

From step to time, ‘mutes’ emerge – that is, circular rooms bubbling up colours and sound. Each bubble-like-room had a specific hue and music piece playing to suit a chosen time in Miles’ life, with wall displays of albums, magazine articles, private letters, music scores and photos.

There are many gems in this exhibition and especially enjoyable were a wall size photo of Miles’ red Ferrari, a letter of the producer Teo Macero dating from 1968, giving details of the album Fille du Kilimanjaro, and advising of Miles’ wish to have all names changed into French – the typed letters still spell their anguish: “HELP! Does anyone here speak French!” – and an unseen television interview with the director Louis Malle in a recording studio where Miles is in the background composing the music to the film Ascenseur pour l’échafaud. How did he do it: he improvised whilst looking at the movie rolling… pure inspiration, pure genius. The journalist and viewers are in complete awe.

On the lower level, a special wall is titled and dedicated to The Art of Miles, who started drawing and painting in 1982 to help his hand affected badly by an earlier heart attack. A delicious photo towards the end rounds up the viewing: a close-up by Irving Penn of Miles’ hand giving the third finger, bending it inwards rather than sticking it outwards, his soft glistening skin winking at us, a photo used for the Tutu album and promotion in 1986.

One last sweet before leaving: PCs with headphones allowing for 6 pieces (“Now’s The Time”, “Bag’s Groove”, “So What”, “Footprints”, “Spanish Key” and “Tutu”) to be rediscovered with a listening guide where the musical scores of each and its innovations are explained.

I left electrified on a jazzy cloud with Miles’ face tucked under my eyelids from a photo portrait used as cover for the magazine of the Berliner Jazztage 1971 Festival, where Miles’ face is coated in paint of all colours. That’s what he achieved; he transcended sound, time, continents and roots.

For details of events and prices check out: http://www.cite-musique.fr/francais/Default.aspx

Reviewed by Nadia Ghanem