Whitaker Jazz Speaks Performance & Lecture Series

Whitaker Jazz Speaks events are open to the public with gratitude to Whitaker Foundation for their ongoing support.

This season, the Whitaker Jazz Speaks series honors the life and legacy of Miles Davis in celebration of his 100th birthday. Through the power of conversation and live performance, this four-part series brings together leading voices—authors, scholars, and musicians—to explore the many facets of Davis’s groundbreaking journey. Each evening offers a deeply human look at the man behind the music, weaving history, culture, and innovation with unforgettable live interpretations.

Upcoming Jazz Speaks Events

Jan

Miles Davis: Roots & Early Influences

1920’s – 1940’s | Early Life in Alton & East St. Louis

This talk will discuss Davis’s upbringing, The Great Migration, Black Life in St. Louis, and his early musical development.

Feb

Miles Davis & the Birth of Cool: Reinventing Jazz in Post-War America

1940s-1950s – The Birth of Cool & Hard Bop

This talk will explore Davis’s pivotal role in bebop (playing with Charlie Parker), the development of cool jazz, his time at Juilliard, and how his collaborations shaped modern jazz. Kahn’s extensive work on his literary work inspired by the recording Kind of Blue makes him an ideal choice to connect historical aspects with the artistic innovations.

MAR

Miles Davis and the Sound of Change: The Electric Revolution

1960s-1970s – Electric Miles & Cultural Revolution

This talk will examine how Davis revolutionized jazz with fusion, inspired by funk, rock, and psychedelic music. It will also address the socio-political context, including Black Power, Afrofuturism, and how his music reflected broader cultural shifts.

MAY

Miles Davis: A Life in Motion – Reinvention and the Final Years

1980s-1990s – Late Career, Reinvention & Legacy

This talk will offer insight into Davis’s return to the music world in the ‘80s, his late-period experiments, his visual art, and his enduring influence across multiple genres.

Whitaker Jazz Speaks events are presented free of charge and open to the public with gratitude to the W H I T A K E R F O U N D A T I O N for their ongoing support.