Miles Behind: Jazz Studies, Masculinity and #MeToo

Whilst Miles Davis’s violent and abusive acts have been documented and criticised to some extent, there remains a limited body of work on the problematic constructions of masculinity in both the representation of Miles and broader jazz discourse. Indeed, despite several attempts to bring the problematic aspects of Davis’s life to the fore, the dominant discourse continues to separate Miles’s music from his abuse of women. Given these problems, I explore how the study of the posthumous representation of Miles Davis, particularly in the light of the #MeToo movement, can encourage us to change our own behaviour and challenge the work of others. If we think about Miles differently, can this encourage a new kind of jazz appreciation and mode of working that will enable us to become better historians, musicians and, ultimately, human beings?