Listen Back: Keith Henry Brown shares Birth of the Cool

Original Air Date: September 16, 2019

Illustrator Keith Henry Brown shares BIRTH OF THE COOL, which is written by Kathleen Cornell Berman. BIRTH OF THE COOL is a picture book biography of the great jazz legend Miles Davis and his journey to find a sound that was beautifully and uniquely his own. That sound took him places. That sound was the birth of the cool. Keith’s depiction of Miles Davis is art that shouts music, and art that lives and breathes its subject matter. We follow Miles through childhood and into his formative years, through success to the threat of being forgotten to history and back out again on the stage of the Newport Jazz Festival. It’s a story rich with means and desire and the reminder that we all have to face something in this life.

Listen along:

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Miles can’t sleep.

Taps his toes,

snaps his fingers,

can’t stop thinking of ways

to make music his own.

As a young musician, Miles Davis heard music everywhere. This biography explores the childhood and early career of a jazz legend as he finds his voice and shapes a new musical sound. Follow his progression from East St. Louis to rural Arkansas, from Julliard and NYC jazz clubs to the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival. Rhythmic free verse imbues his story with musicality and gets readers in the groove. Music teachers and jazz fans will appreciate the beats and details throughout, and Miles’ drive to constantly listen, learn, and create will inspire kids to develop their own voice.

With evocative illustrations, this glimpse into Miles Davis’ life is sure to captivate music lovers young and old.

SHOW NOTES:

• Learn more about Keith Henry Brown at keithhbrown.com