A New Standard

As part of Miles 100, journalist Kevin Le Gendre explores the impact of Miles Davis on jazz and beyond - into popular culture.

Miles Davis broadened the jazz repertoire. In his early career, he drew from the Great American Songbook, playing songs by musical theatre composers. From the 1960s, he played mostly original music, before returning to covering popular music. The 1980s was marked by controversy, as he created original takes on contemporary pop hits, including Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time and Scritti Politti's Perfect Way. Miles's open-mindedness and artistic freedom, often alienating critics, legitimised the coverage of any new songs by jazz artists, influencing later artists like Herbie Hancock and The Bad Plus to embrace "new standards". From repertoire, to electronics, to extended technique and visual style, Miles was the ultimate transformer.

Produced by Joby Waldman
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3