Abstract This essay is a discussion of how the way jazz trumpeter Miles Davis changes his way of improvising, looking at two pieces from different times. The solos in the pieces were transcribed by myself and then analysed in detail. From these analyses, several conclusions on the style of improvising were drawn, and then the conclusions from the two pieces were compared. The piece 'New Rhumba', showed how Davis was using his technical ability to create an impressive solo, but was also leaning towards a more sparse and spacious form of improvising, where the times he doesn't play are just...
of when they were reorded, but it is far more obvious in 'So What'. I feel that 'So What' shows a more mature Miles, as it shows that he realises he doesn't have to impress people with amazing musical feats. He can just as easily be impressive by his ability to know when to play, and when not, and his ability to seemingly compose tunes in his solos. I think that these are the aspects about Miles Davis, that have made him such a household name, and why he has become such an influential giant in the jazz world.