First look at Don Cheadle as Miles Davis

In this modern age of Hollywood movie making very few actors fall into my must watch list. Don Cheadle is not only on that list but on the top of that list. Truth be told, I can’t help but think that the actor is far too under appreciated in Hollywood. In my opinion, yes, he is that good.

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Today we get the first look of Cheadle as legendary jazz musician Miles Davis.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Cheadle began a life long obsession with Miles as a child with Mile’s release of Porgy and Bess. Now all these years later and Cheadle gets to not only play the man he admired but direct the film as well, his first directorial effort. Cheadle also helped pen the script.

The film will co-star Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg and Emayatzy Corinealdi.  Shooting for the film began this week in Cincinnati and as the report goes has been in development for nearly ten years.

"His music was definitely a part of my life very early on, thanks to my parents. And I was fortunate when I was young to have music teachers in school that also introduced us to jazz in general. I was maybe 10, in fifth grade, when I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the sax at a school which had instruments because we couldn’t afford one. So I started playing sax, and was really a fan of Charlie Parker and Cannonball Adderly. And through Cannonball I found Miles,” Cheadle told EW."

Davis was so revered in the music industry that he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his huge impact on the industry. Miles didn’t simply embody jazz music or influence the genre he created it. Davis died in 1991 but his musical styles continue to live on in American pop-culture. During his life he battled substance abuse issues and took time away from music only to return and take it to another level.

"I saw him at Red Rocks in Colorado, an outdoor amphitheater when he came back with the “We Want Miles” tour. That experience of watching him … the experience of watching him with this super eclectic band, a rocked-out guitar player, a South American percussionist, and a funk bass player and jazz be-bop sax player, and funk drums, and Miles in the middle keeping it all together. The experiment of it—that you were watching the process as opposed to some polished, produced thing—was great,” Cheadle said about seeing Davis perform live."

The film is titled Miles Ahead. No release date has been announced.