Legend

Clarke Peters explores what many consider the apex of Miles Davis’s career: 1959, the year of Kind of Blue. It was a time of tailored suits, fast cars, and a radical new sound that redefined the 20th-century idea of cool. Clarke takes us inside the legendary Columbia studio to witness the birth of the best-selling jazz album of all time - a recording session where Miles’ scrawled notes transformed the genre forever. But beneath the surface of this "sublime" era, Miles’ life didn't always run as smooth as his music. Clarke explores the uncomfortable collision of professional triumph and personal volatility, as his relationship with his soon to be wife, dancer Frances Taylor, was tested by the same uncompromising drive that fuelled his art. The episode reaches a pivotal climax just days after the album’s release. Despite his global stardom, a brutal encounter with the police outside a New York club served as a savage reminder that, for a Black man in 1959 America, the "cool" was never a shield from social reality. Narrator and longtime fan Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme) explores the restless genius and radical evolution of Miles Davis. Across five episodes, Clarke traces a 50 year odyssey of constant reinvention - from a teenage outsider in 1944 to a global icon who redefined what it meant to be Black, to be cool, and to be an artist. Blending archival recordings with fresh perspectives, the series reveals how Miles’ "take no shit" attitude and aesthetic fearlessness influenced everyone from rock stars to Oscar-winning filmmakers. Yet, Clarke also grapples with the darker truths of Miles’ legacy, including the substance issues and domestic abuse that left a trail of pain for those closest to him. It's a searching investigation into an artist capable of the most sublime beauty and the most brutal behavior - a man who refused to be palatable, refused to be a "legend", and simply refused to stop moving forward.Presenter: Clarke Peters Series Producer: Clem Hitchcock Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Kirsten Lass Production Manager: Emily Duffy Music Consultant: Guy Barker Additional music recorded at Ronnie Scott's by James Pearson and Guy Barker Archivist: Simon Rooks Script Consultant: Anne Harbin Technical Production and Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby Commissioning Editors for the BBC: Dan Clarke and Matthew Dodd A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4Tracks as Featured: 'There is no Greater Love' - Miles Davis Quintet 'Just Squeeze Me' - Miles Davis Quintet 'How am I to Know' - Miles Davis Quintet 'Ah Lei Che' - MIles Davis Quintet 'Freddie Freeloader' - MIles Davis Quintet 'So what' - Miles Davis 'All Blues' - Miles Davis Flamenco Sketches' - Miles Davis and Bill Evans 'Blue in Green' - Miles Davis and Bill Evans 'Bitches Brew' - Miles Davis 'Pharoes Dance' - Miles DavisFrances Taylor from BBC Jazz File: Miles Davis at 80, 2001 Jimmy Cobb from interview with Mike Lanchin, 2014

Clarke Peters explores the life and legacy of a visionary artist whose relentless pursuit of the "new" often scorched his own life and the lives of those around him. In September 1944, an 18-year-old Miles Davis arrives in New York with a trumpet in his hand and a secret mission. He may have first arrived in New York to take up a place at the prestigious Juilliard School, but in reality Miles was actually patrolling the smoke-filled jazz clubs of 52nd Street, chasing the high-speed sounds of his bebop heroes, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Across the series, Clarke charts Miles’s ever-evolving artform, starting with this first great transformation of a legend - when the young Miles chose to step into the unknown, seize control of his own creative destiny, and begin his journey as a leader.Narrator, acclaimed actor and longtime fan, Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme, Da 5 Bloods) reveals the restless genius and radical evolution of Miles Davis. Growing up in a New York household where his father’s jazz records were the permanent soundtrack, Clarke was captivated by Miles long before he fully appreciated the man behind the music. Across five episodes, Clarke traces a 50 year odyssey of constant reinvention - from a teenage outsider chasing the bebop revolution in 1944 to a global icon who redefined what it meant to be Black, to be cool, and to be an artist.Blending archival recordings and legendary tracks with fresh perspectives from a range of creators, the series reveals how Miles’ influence ripples far beyond the world of jazz. We discover how his "take no shit" attitude and aesthetic fearlessness impacted on the likes of Oscar-winning filmmakers, celebrated designers and music icons like Prince, Joni Mitchell, Sting and even bands like Radiohead, as well as generations of now also legendary jazz musicians that he championed early in their careers - John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Keith Jarrett and Marcus Miller, to name a few. The series also grapples with the darker side of Miles’ legacy, including the domestic abuse that left a trail of pain for those closest to him and the substance issues that took a deep toll on his health. It asks difficult questions about how to regard an artist capable of creating the most sublime aesthetic statements while engaging in brutal behaviour. Clarke Peters, whose own creative journey as an actor was sparked by Miles’s music, leads a searching investigation into a man who refused to be palatable, refused to be a "legend", and simply refused to stop moving forward.Miles Davis Interview: From Jazz Talking by Ben Sidran, 1986. The Arsenio Hall Show, Paramount, originally broadcast in 1989. 60 Minutes, CBS News. Originally broadcast in 1989Featured tracks (in order of appearance) “So What” – Miles Davis “Blue in Green” – Miles Davis (feat. John Coltrane & Bill Evans) “Bitches Brew” – Miles Davis "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" - MIles Davis “Agitation” – Miles Davis “Flamenco Sketches” – Miles Davis & Bill Evans “Ko Ko” – Charlie Parker “Salt Peanuts” – Dizzy Gillespie "Jivin with Jack the Bellboy" - Miles Davis "Move" - Miles Davis "Moon Dreams" - Miles Davis "Boplicity" - Miles Davis Presenter: Clarke Peters Series Producer: Clem Hitchcock Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Kirsten Lass Production Manager: Emily Duffy Music Consultant: Guy Barker Additional Music: Guy Barker Archivist: Simon Rooks Script Consultant: Anne Harbin Technical Production and Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby Commissioning Editors for the BBC: Dan Clarke and Matthew Dodd A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend.In our final chapter, we trace Bruce’s journey to his latest tour - The Land of Hope and Dreams - where he speaks out on stage against the President of the United States. How did Bruce become the kind of artist who wears his politics so openly? And what impact has this had on his fan base?Laura travels to Milan in the heat of July for the last stop on the tour at San Siro Stadium, where she meets fans who’ve journeyed from around the world to witness this moment.~~~“I'm here tonight to provide proof of life to that ever elusive, never completely believable, particularly these days, us. That's my magic trick.”In Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, we uncover the magic trick to discover how a scrawny, long-haired introvert from small-town New Jersey became the iconic, muscular, and oft-misunderstood rock star of the 1980s, to the eloquent elder statesmen he is now. What can his story tell us about America today?In each episode, Laura takes us to the front row of a live performance that reveals a different side of The Boss, and hears him across the decades in his own words from the archive. We'll also hear from fellow worshippers in the Church of Springsteen and disciples from the E Street Band, including drummer Max Weinberg, tributes from those influenced by Bruce, such as Bryce Dessner from The National, as well as Freehold town historian Kevin Coyne and music critics and biographers such as Richard Williams, Eric Alterman, Steven Hyden, Warren Zanes and Diane H. Winston.The Bruce Springsteen Story comes from the production team behind BBC Radio 4’s award-winning Joni Mitchell Story, and the podcast Soul Music – “… the gold standard for music podcasts…” (Esquire).Producer: Eliza Lomas Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown Mix engineer: Ilse Lademann Series Development: Mair Bosworth Production Coordinator: Stuart Laws Research: Sarah Goodman Series Editor: Emma Harding Commissioning Editors: Daniel Clarke and Matthew Dodd Assistant Commissioner Podcasts: Will Drysdale

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend.Bruce's story continues in rural Holmdel, New Jersey, alone with a four-track tape recorder. He goes back into his childhood, drives the streets of his early years, searching for answers. Looking for meaning. The seminal album, Nebraska, is what comes out. What happens next is an unravelling. And then a rebuilding. The Bruce who returns is unrecognisable. "He's got muscles now. Does that mean we have to get muscles now?!" - Warren Zanes. The album Born In The USA, with the anthemic album track and hit single Dancing In The Dark, takes Bruce stratospheric. In October, 1985, after two years and 156 shows, the Born In The USA tour comes to a close at the Coliseum Los Angeles. Four sold out nights of 80,000 people. The final night is one of melancholy and of joy. And a foreboding of change to come. ~~~“I'm here tonight to provide proof of life to that ever elusive, never completely believable, particularly these days, us. That's my magic trick.”In Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, we uncover the magic trick to discover how a scrawny, long-haired introvert from small-town New Jersey became the iconic, muscular, and oft-misunderstood rock star of the 1980s, to the eloquent elder statesmen he is now. What can his story tell us about America today?In each episode, Laura takes us to the front row of a live performance that reveals a different side of The Boss, and hears him across the decades in his own words from the archive. We'll also hear from fellow worshippers in the Church of Springsteen, and disciples from the E Street Band, including drummer Max Weinberg, tributes from those influenced by Bruce, such as Bryce Dessner from The National, as well as Freehold town historian Kevin Coyne and music critics and biographers such as Richard Williams, Eric Alterman, Steven Hyden, Warren Zanes and Diane H. Winston.The Bruce Springsteen Story comes from the production team behind BBC Radio 4’s award-winning Joni Mitchell Story, and the podcast Soul Music – “… the gold standard for music podcasts…” (Esquire).Producer: Eliza Lomas Series Developer: Mair Bosworth Production Coordinator: Stuart Laws Research: Sarah Goodman Series Editor: Emma Harding Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown Commissioning Editors: Daniel Clarke and Matthew Dodd

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend. Bruce’s story begins in the small factory town of Freehold, New Jersey. His father, Douglas, is distant. The love from his Grandmother Alice is fierce. His life changes forever when he hears Elvis and The Beatles, and learns the guitar. Laura travels to 23rd January, 1971. Bruce is 21 years old. This wiry figure with long curly hair takes the mic at the Upstage Club, Asbury Park. There is a vast distance between this scruffy boardwalk town venue and the stadiums he will one day fill, but Springsteen has a plan. Off stage, Bruce is a shy and introverted teenager. But when he plays, the transformation is startling. People liken it to Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk. This is where he finds his congregation - his vision of community forms here.~~~“I'm here tonight to provide proof of life to that ever elusive, never completely believable, particularly these days, us. That's my magic trick.”In Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, we uncover the magic trick to discover how a scrawny, long-haired introvert from small-town New Jersey became the iconic, muscular, and oft-misunderstood rock star of the 1980s, to the eloquent elder statesmen he is now. What can his story tell us about America today? In each episode, Laura takes us to the front row of a live performance that reveals a different side of The Boss, and hears him across the decades in his own words from the archive. We'll also hear from fellow worshippers in the Church of Springsteen and disciples from the E Street Band, including drummer Max Weinberg, tributes from those influenced by Bruce, such as Bryce Dessner from The National, as well as Freehold town historian Kevin Coyne and music critics and biographers such as Richard Williams, Eric Alterman, Steven Hyden, Warren Zanes and Diane H. Winston. The Bruce Springsteen Story comes from the production team behind BBC Radio 4’s award-winning Joni Mitchell Story, and the podcast Soul Music – “… the gold standard for music podcasts…” (Esquire).Producers: Eliza Lomas and Mair Bosworth Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown Series Developer: Mair Bosworth Production Coordinator: Stuart Laws Additional Research: Sarah Goodman Series Editor: Emma Harding Commissioning Editors: Daniel Clarke and Matthew Dodd

Legend is a new music biography series from BBC Radio 4 exploring the extraordinary life stories of pioneering artists who changed music forever.In the final episode, we hear how Joni comes full circle. She reunites with the daughter she gave up for adoption, retires then returns to music, suffers from and then recovers from a near-fatal brain aneurysm, all those years after contracting and surviving polio. With the love and support of a community of musicians, Joni once again returns to the stage, celebrating all that she's created over 80 years. “I’ve always been a creature of change” – Joni Mitchell Through archive, fresh interviews, narration, immersive sound design and an original score, we trace the story of an extraordinary life and explore what makes Joni Mitchell a singular artist: the genius of her lyrics; her incredible talent as guitarist, painter and producer; and her restless drive for innovation. We follow Joni from her ‘flatlander’ childhood on the Canadian prairies, through the folk clubs of Toronto and Detroit, to a redwood cottage in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon, to a cave in Crete, to a deserted desert highway, to recording studios and stages around the world. From her earliest home recordings to masterpieces like Blue, Court and Spark, and Hejira, we explore some of the stories behind her best-loved songs and celebrate her remarkable return to live performance in the past year: “like seeing, in the wild, a rare bird long feared extinct”.Our guide through the series is the California-born, Manchester-based musician, Jesca Hoop. We hear tributes from musicians who have played alongside Joni and from those who have been inspired and influenced by her music. We hear from friends, including Larry Klein and Graham Nash; and from music critics and biographers, including Ann Powers, David Yaffe, Lindsay Zoladz, Kate Mossman, Barney Hoskyns, Miles Grier and Jenn Pelly. The Joni Mitchell Story comes from the production team behind BBC Radio 4’s award-winning podcast Soul Music – “… the gold standard for music podcasts…” (Esquire). Producers: Mair Bosworth and Eliza Lomas Production Coordinator: Andrew Lewis Editor: Chris Ledgard Story Editor: Emma Harding Story Consultant: John Yorke Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown Studio Engineers: Ilse Lademann and Michael Harrison

Joni Mitchell’s songs have soundtracked our lives and her pioneering work changed music forever. Jesca Hoop explores her extraordinary story to reveal the life behind the legend.In episode four we follow Joni from 1974 through to 1978. In 1974 Court and Spark is released to huge acclaim but already Joni is heading in new directions musically. This is the era of The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Hejira and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Through '74 and '75 she tours extensively and joins Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. Her creative restlessness and refusal to be put in a box take her in new directions, but also into controversial territory. “I’ve always been a creature of change” – Joni MitchellThrough archive, fresh interviews, narration, immersive sound design and an original score, we trace the story of an extraordinary life and explore what makes Joni Mitchell a singular artist: the genius of her lyrics; her incredible talent as guitarist, painter and producer; and her restless drive for innovation.In Legend, we follow Joni from her ‘flatlander’ childhood on the Canadian prairies, through the folk clubs of Toronto and Detroit, to a redwood cottage in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon, to a cave in Crete, to a deserted desert highway, to recording studios and stages around the world. From her earliest home recordings to masterpieces like Blue, Court and Spark, and Hejira, we explore some of the stories behind her best-loved songs and celebrate her remarkable return to live performance in 2023: “like seeing, in the wild, a rare bird long feared extinct” (Lindsay Zoladz). Our guide through the series is the California-born, Manchester-based musician, Jesca Hoop. Jesca speaks to musicians like Blake Mills, Allison Russell, Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, who have played alongside Joni, and we hear tributes from those, like musician John Grant, who have been inspired and influenced by her music. We also hear from Joni's friends, including Larry Klein and Graham Nash; and from music critics and biographers, including Ann Powers, David Yaffe, Lindsay Zoladz, Kate Mossman, Barney Hoskyns, Miles Grier and Jenn Pelly.The Joni Mitchell Story comes from the production team behind BBC Radio 4’s award-winning podcast Soul Music – “… the gold standard for music podcasts…” (Esquire).Producers: Mair Bosworth and Eliza Lomas Production Coordinator: Andrew Lewis Editor: Chris Ledgard Story Editor: Emma Harding Story Consultant: John Yorke Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown Studio Engineers: Ilse Lademann and Michael Harrison Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke

Joni Mitchell’s songs have soundtracked our lives and her pioneering work changed music forever. Jesca Hoop explores her extraordinary story to reveal the life behind the legend.In episode two we follow Joni from 1964 through to late 1969. Joni makes a 'bad marriage', signs adoption papers, leaves a bad marriage, makes it to Greenwich Village and then to LA's Laurel Canyon. We find out about the inspiration for some of her best known songs, including Little Green and Both Sides Now. In 1968, her recording career begins with her debut album 'Song to a Seagull'; with two more records following in quick succession - Clouds, and Ladies of the Canyon. In 1969, she is heartbroken to miss out on one of the biggest events of her generation - Woodstock. But - despite not getting to go - she writes a song that will help to define the event, and the era, in the popular imagination. “I’ve always been a creature of change” – Joni MitchellThrough archive, fresh interviews, narration, immersive sound design and an original score, we trace the story of an extraordinary life and explore what makes Joni Mitchell a singular artist: the genius of her lyrics; her incredible talent as guitarist, painter and producer; and her restless drive for innovation.In Legend, we follow Joni from her ‘flatlander’ childhood on the Canadian prairies, through the folk clubs of Toronto and Detroit, to a redwood cottage in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon, to a cave in Crete, to a deserted desert highway, to recording studios and stages around the world. From her earliest home recordings to masterpieces like Blue, Court and Spark, and Hejira, we explore some of the stories behind her best-loved songs and celebrate her remarkable return to live performance in 2023: “like seeing, in the wild, a rare bird long feared extinct”.Our guide through the series is the California-born, Manchester-based musician, Jesca Hoop. Jesca speaks to musicians like Blake Mills, Allison Russell, Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, who have played alongside Joni, and we hear tributes from those, like musician John Grant, who have been inspired and influenced by her music. We also hear from Joni's friends, including Larry Klein and Graham Nash; and from music critics and biographers, including Ann Powers, David Yaffe, Lindsay Zoladz, Kate Mossman, Barney Hoskyns, Miles Grier and Jenn Pelly.The Joni Mitchell Story comes from the production team behind BBC Radio 4’s award-winning podcast Soul Music – “… the gold standard for music podcasts…” (Esquire).Producers: Mair Bosworth and Eliza Lomas Production Coordinator: Andrew Lewis Editor: Chris Ledgard Story Editor: Emma Harding Story Consultant: John Yorke Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown Studio Engineers: Ilse Lademann and Michael Harrison Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke

How did the greats become the greats? And what did it cost them to get there? Legend is a musician biography series from BBC Radio 4 exploring the life and music of the pioneering artists who shaped modern music. Series one tells the story of Joni Mitchell and explores her incomparable body of work – from her earliest home recordings to masterpieces like Blue, Court and Spark, and Hejira. It’s a story that takes us from the remote prairie towns of Saskatchewan to the bohemian idyll of Laurel Canyon; through the hippie dreams of the Woodstock generation and into the dog-eat-dog world of 1980s LA. Her path has not been straightforward. There have been lonely roads and wrong turns. Road rage, and car crashes – symbolic and real. Joni walked away from fame many times. She gave up a daughter and found her again. She came close to death more than once. And now, she’s back on stages again at the age of 80.Jesca Hoop – Presenter Mair Bosworth – Producer Eliza Lomas – Producer