Friday 6 November 2009

Miles Davis Is Coming to Montreal

Yes, yes, I know he's been dead for years, but the greatest trumpeter ever will be featured next summer at the Musée des beaux arts, it has just been announced. I don't know what to think of these exhibitions which cater to popular culture--some of them are great fun--but they certainly seem to bring in the crowds who may also take advantage of the Musée's permanent collection to widen their horizons. Is this dumbing down the museum experience, or simply building an audience?

Whatever, I'm looking forward to the Miles Davis show. To while away the time, here's the YouTube clip of him playing while a lovely Jeanne Moreau wanders around Paris thinking that her lover has betrayed her. The film is Louis Malle's 1957 debut, Acenseur pour l'échafaud, or Elevator to the Scaffold. A great film noir :

2 comments:

leftdog said...

I am a jazz junkie - mostly Monk but anything Hardbop, BeBop or Miles from the 1950's. I have been to the Montreal Jazz festival a few times, not the least of which was 1985 when Miles played! He did a concert at the Theatre on St. Denis St. I couldn't get tickets ... but I have THIS ... a clip of Miles Davis from THAT concert .. (extra bonus = he is playing the best song that Michael Jackson ever wrote). RIP to both of them.
Enjoy!

patricia said...

Maybe we should consider that the original purpose of museums, as universities', has changed?