Starring as Miles Davis and making his directorial debut with a new biopic about the legendary jazz musician, we talk to Don Cheadle about why his film Miles Ahead has been a labour of love...
As one of the most prolific musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis needs little in the way of introduction, but what happens when one of the jazz scene's most creative minds suffers from writer's block?
That's the subject that Don Cheadle tackles with his new film Miles Ahead, a biopic about the legendary trumpet player and Cheadle's first time in the director's chair.
Instead of taking the usual biopic route though, Cheadle has decided to focus on the period during the late 1970s when Davis was on an indefinite hiatus, recovering from his failed marraiage and struggling creatively for the first time in his career. Miles Ahead offers a fascinating insight into those wilderness years and stars Cheadle in the role of the Davis himself, alonsgide Ewan McGregor playing (fictional) journalist Dave Brill who is desperate to get the story behind Davis' creative disappearance.
With the film arriving in UK cinemas on DVD on Monday (August 21st), we sat down with the star and director to talk about the influence of Miles Davis' music on his life and why he decided to focus on this period of Davis' life for his new film...
Miles Ahead is available in hmv stores now.
