Clawing at the Limits of Cool: Miles Davis, John Coltrane and the Greatest Jazz Collaboration Ever

When trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis chose the members of his quintet in 1955, he passed over respected saxophonists to pick out the relatively untested John Coltrane. His unlikely choice would set the course not just for each of their careers but for jazz. Clawing at the Limits of Cool examines the profound implications that the collaboration would have on African-American culture, producing such landmark albums as Milestones and Kind of Blue. With different personal as well as musical styles, the two men could not be more unlike one another. One exemplified the tough cool of the '50s while the other made the transition from unfocused junkie to religious pilgrim. Drawing on cultural history and precise musical detail, this book illuminates the importance that the pairing would have for jazz worldwide.