Editing Miles Davis (section)

===1948–1950: Miles Davis Nonet and ''Birth of the Cool''===
In August 1948, Davis declined an offer to join [[Duke Ellington]]'s orchestra as he had entered rehearsals with a nine-piece band featuring baritone saxophonist [[Gerry Mulligan]] and arrangements by [[Gil Evans]], taking an active role on what soon became his own project.<ref>{{cite web| last= Mulligan| first= Gerry| url= http://www.gerrymulligan.com/wp-content/files/auto-bio.pdf |title= I hear America singing| website= gerrymulligan.com| publisher= Gerry Mulligan |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225918/http://www.gerrymulligan.com/wp-content/files/auto-bio.pdf |archive-date= March 3, 2016 |quote= Miles, the bandleader. He took the initiative and put the theories to work. He called the rehearsals, hired the halls, called the players, and generally cracked the whip.}}</ref>{{sfn|Early|2001|p=212}} Evans' Manhattan apartment had become the meeting place for several young musicians and composers such as Davis, Roach, Lewis, and Mulligan who were unhappy with the increasingly virtuoso instrumental techniques that dominated bebop.{{sfn|Cook|2007|p=14}} These gatherings led to the formation of the Miles Davis [[Nonet (music)|Nonet]], which included atypical modern jazz instruments such as French horn and tuba, leading to a thickly textured, almost orchestral sound.<ref name=":1" /> The intent was to imitate the human voice through carefully arranged compositions and a relaxed, melodic approach to improvisation. In September, the band completed their sole engagement as the opening band for [[Count Basie]] at the [[Royal Roost]] for two weeks. Davis had to persuade the venue's manager to write the sign "Miles Davis Nonet. Arrangements by Gil Evans, John Lewis and Gerry Mulligan". Davis returned to Parker's quintet, but relationships within the quintet were growing tense mainly due to Parker's erratic behavior caused by his drug addiction.{{sfn|Early|2001|p=212}} Early in his time with Parker, Davis abstained from drugs, chose a vegetarian diet, and spoke of the benefits of water and juice.{{sfn|Cook|2007|p=2}}

In December 1948, Davis quit, saying he was not being paid.{{sfn|Early|2001|p=212}} His departure began a period when he worked mainly as a freelancer and sideman. His nonet remained active until the end of 1949. After signing a contract with [[Capitol Records]], they recorded sessions in January and April 1949, which sold little but influenced the "cool" or "west coast" style of jazz.{{sfn|Early|2001|p=212}} The lineup changed throughout the year and included tuba player [[Bill Barber (musician)|Bill Barber]], alto saxophonist [[Lee Konitz]], pianist [[Al Haig]], trombone players [[Mike Zwerin]] with [[Kai Winding]], French horn players [[Junior Collins]] with Sandy Siegelstein and [[Gunther Schuller]], and bassists [[Al McKibbon]] and [[Joe Shulman]]. One track featured singer [[Kenny Hagood]]. The presence of white musicians in the group angered some black players, many of whom were unemployed at the time, yet Davis rebuffed their criticisms.{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=117}} Recording sessions with the nonet for Capitol continued until April 1950. The Nonet recorded a dozen tracks which were released as singles and subsequently compiled on the 1957 album ''[[Birth of the Cool]]''.<ref name=":1" />

In May 1949, Davis performed with the [[Tadd Dameron]] Quintet with [[Kenny Clarke]] and [[James Moody (saxophonist)|James Moody]] at the [[Paris Jazz Festival|Paris International Jazz Festival]]. On his first trip abroad Davis took a strong liking to Paris and its cultural environment, where he felt black jazz musicians and people of color in general were better respected than in the U.S. The trip, he said, "changed the way I looked at things forever".{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=126}} He began an affair with singer and actress [[Juliette Gréco]].{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=126}}