Miles Davis was an American trumpeter, composer and bandleader widely regarded as one of the major figures in jazz history. Active from the 1940s through the 1990s, he played a crucial role in the development of bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz and jazz fusion, constantly reinventing his musical language and ensembles. With albums such as Birth of the Cool, Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain and Bitches Brew, Miles Davis profoundly transformed modern jazz and influenced generations of musicians.