Miles Davis 100: Laura Jurd and Anthony Joseph in session

Verity Sharp shares the results of our latest remote collaboration session, bringing together trumpeter Laura Jurd and poet Anthony Joseph to celebrate the legacy of American jazz icon Miles Davis (1926-1991) on his centenary.

Miles Davis was a trumpeter, bandleader and composer, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. In a career spanning nearly five decades, Davis was at the forefront of almost all major stylistic developments in jazz, constantly pursuing innovation, and his legacy continues to inspire to this day.

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis was the first album that trumpeter Laura Jurd ever bought. An inspiration for her ever since, she has gone on to develop her own distinctive musical voice bridging jazz and folk, leading the Mercury Prize-nominated band Dinosaur and working extensively as a composer for ensembles ranging from jazz groups to contemporary chamber orchestras. For this session, Jurd connects remotely with Trinidad-born poet, novelist, academic and musician, Anthony Joseph. Described as a ‘leader of the black avant-garde in Britain’, Joseph’s work and performance occupies a space between surrealism, jazz, and the rhythms of Caribbean speech and music. Together they take inspiration from the legacy of Miles Davis in this exclusive Late Junction collaboration session.

Produced by Gabriel Francis
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3