Miles Davis Centenary

Proms on TV, 2026
Miles Davis Centenary
Royal Albert Hall

In 2026 we are celebrating what would have been the 100th birthday year of Miles Davis: the Big Daddy of jazz. I am a fan, and I always think this type of music is best enjoyed with a nip of whisky. Hence I pour out the last dregs of a small bottle of Jack Daniels that has been sitting on the wine rack in my kitchen since just before last Christmas. 

The BBC concert orchestra is joined by a trumpet player called Ambrose Akinmusire and, boy, is he smooth. He hits all the right timbres, delivering the music of Gershwin (Porgy and Bess) with all the elegance it deserves. Eyes closed, I wouldn't have guessed it wasn't Miles Davis playing. Suffice to say, the rest of the programme follows suit, so there is not much else to say about the broadcast itself.

After the show and in the mood, I dig out my heavyweight, blue-coloured, mono edition vinyl of Kind of Blue, placing it tactfully on the deck and topping up my whisky glass. And after that I put on my not-so-glamourous (but just as treasured) CD-R copy of In a Silent Way. I'm sure I've got Sketches of Spain somewhere, also on a CD-R that a friend did for me some years back. But I don't know where that is just now. 

I also remember and take note that I still haven't watched the Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool documentary film, which I downloaded from iPlayer ages (years) ago. Must watch that before 2026 is out.

This Prom was one hundred percent me.