{{Short description|2005 book}} {{Infobox book | name = The Last Miles | image = File:The_Last_Miles.jpg | alt = | caption = | author = George Cole | cover_artist = | country = United Kingdom | language = English | subject = biography | publisher = Equinox Publishing Ltd. & University of Michigan Press | pub_date = March 1, 2005 | media_type = Print | pages = 558 | awards = | isbn = 1904768180 }}
'''''The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991''''' is the biography of American jazz musician Miles Davis covering the period 1980 to 1991. First published in 2005, the book was written by British author and journalist George Cole. The initial publication was by Equinox on March 1, 2005, followed by University of Michigan Press on June 1, 2005.
The publication of George Cole's biography coincided with Miles Davis: The London Exhibition in 2005. May 21, 2015, an exhibition of Davis’ sketching and painting artwork was launched, which included a book signing by Cole.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-04-07 |title=Miles Davis: The London Exhibition, coincides w publication of George Cole's biography The Last Miles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-miles-davis-the-london/147273135/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |work=Evening Standard |pages=A46}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Exhibition of artwork by two legendary musicians - ProQuest |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1966709405 |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=www.proquest.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Background == George Cole researched Davis's music from 1980 to 1991 to explore and shed light on this era which was controversial and less understood compared to his earlier groundbreaking work in jazz.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=LeGendre |first=Kevin |title=The ogre who longed to be played on the radio |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-ind-3405-p54-simon/141594718/ |website=newspaper.com}}</ref>
Cole conducted numerous interviews with musicians, producers, and others who worked closely with Miles Davis during the 1980s and early 1990s. These included his work with Marcus Miller, John Scofield, Lenny White and others who contributed to Davis's albums and live performances.<ref name=":0"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=MUSIC Girls (& boys) still want to have fun - ProQuest |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2270857452 |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=www.proquest.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McArdle |first=Terence |date=29 Nov 2013 |title=Funk drummer for Chuck Brown |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1462304329 |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=www.proquest.com |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bernard Wright, Sampled By Everyone, Mentored - ProQuest |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2668562978 |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=www.proquest.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Reception == Kevin LeGendre for The Independent wrote, "George Cole… made a bold move with The Last Miles… shining the spotlight on that fuzzy final decade" adding "Cole’s analysis has a meticulous, forensic character."<ref name=":0"/>
Irwin Block of The Gazette wrote "Rather than seeking to stress the sensational in Davis’s controversial persona… Cole stays focused on the music. With more than 100 interviews to work with, there are also plenty of anecdotes to make this a rich and rewarding read."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-06-25 |title=From jazz to funk-rock-fusion, The Last Miles (Miles Davis) by George Cole review by Irwin Block |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-from-jazz-to-funk-rock-fusio/147253813/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |work=The Gazette |pages=103}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Miles}} Category:2005 non-fiction books Category:Miles Davis Category:Jazz books