Downtown Music Publishing has signed a global publishing agreement to represent the entire catalog of the legendary jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis. The long-term agreement, signed with the Davis estate, covers the artist’s entire songbook of more than 250 compositions, including songs from albums such as “Jack Johnson,” “Bitches Brew,” “In a Silent Way” and “Kind of Blue,” the latter of which remains the best-selling jazz record of all time. The announcement follows the recent London premiere of “Miles Davis: Birth of Cool,” the documentary chronicling his life directed by Stanley Nelson.
“Miles Davis made an indelible mark on both popular music and culture. Through his exploration and expansion of the language of jazz, Miles pushed the boundaries of genre and influenced generations of artists across the musical spectrum. It’s a legitimate privilege to be entrusted with the care of extraordinary works like ‘So What’ and ‘Blue in Green’ that have shaped the modern musical and cultural landscapes in such a profound way,” said Justin Kalifowitz, CEO of Downtown Music Holdings and Downtown Music Publishing.
“We’re excited to embark on this new chapter in paying homage to the legacy of Miles Davis with Downtown Music Publishing. We are confident this move will continue to introduce the musical genius of Miles on a global scale, where his artistry can be noted by many generations to come,” said Cheryl Davis, Erin Davis and Vince Wilburn, Jr. from the estate.
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In addition to catalog marketing, licensing, and royalty collection, Downtown will collaborate with the Miles Davis Estate on a range of events and other special projects that highlight not only Miles’ compositions and musicianship, but his contributions more broadly as a cultural and style icon whose influence extended to visual art, fashion, film, and design.
In addition to his enormously influential music and artistry, Davis helped to launch the careers of Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Marcus Miller, Jimmy Cobb, Lenny White and many more.
The fast-growing Downtown Music Publishing manages the works of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, George Gershwin, John Prine Tori Amos, Benny Blanco Ryan Tedder, Hans Zimmer, and many other songwriters and composers.
