The Miles Davis Story: 4. Burning Down the House

About this episode

Clarke Peters explores a period of radical disruption as Miles Davis, the King of Cool, sets his legacy on fire. By the late 1960s, the jazz world had become too safe, and Miles felt the heat of his "blue flame" inviting him toward the unknown once again. Inspired by the raw energy of Jimi Hendrix and the psychedelic funk of Sly Stone, Miles plugged in his horn, traded his Italian suits for leather trousers, and entered his most controversial era - the "Prince of Darkness". Clarke investigates the high-stakes gamble behind the 1970 masterpiece Bitches Brew, an album that jazz purists initially dismissed as a "cacophonic mess" that would kill his career . Yet, while the establishment recoiled, Miles was busy inventing the future - laying the DNA for everything from rock to hip-hop. This was a time of extreme creative hunger and personal chaos, marked by a mysterious shooting in Brooklyn and a reckless life in the fast lane that eventually took a heavy physical toll. From the studio to the massive stage at the Isle of Wight, Clarke reveals how Miles’ refusal to stand still, changed the sound of the 20th century yet again. Narrator and longtime fan Clarke Peters (The Wire, Trem