The Miles Davis Arts Festival kicks off its 20th Anniversary (2001-2021) with an

updated Roundtable discussion: Milesville: The Man, The Music, The Milieu. As in
2001, this panel introduced and explored Miles Davis’ varied and complex dimensions
through the prisms of his personal development, artistry and cultural legacy. Twenty
years later, we continue to examine the role of East St. Louis and its people in shaping
the man who redirected the course of Jazz at least five times during his reign as the Arch
(Bebop) Bishop of Jazz. And, this year when much of the city (and the world) was
flatlined, the MDAF has strengthened its ties with HOME: House of Miles-ESL, Miles
Davis Properties, and young adults to think MILES AHEAD: Transform the Narrative
with new ideas, new thoughts, and a renewed visualization of the future.

The 2021 Miles Davis panel of “Milesvillians” will feature Quincy Troupe, poet,
professor, and Miles Davis co-auto-biographer and documentarian; Eugene B. Redmond,
professor, author and Poet Laureate of East St. Louis; Reginald Petty, administrator,
author, founder of the ESL Historical Society; Lauren Parks, educator, President & Co-
Founder of the House of Miles; Dr. Michael Datcher, poet, bestselling author, professor;
and Ronald Carter professor, bandleader, music historian. Darlene Roy, poet, author and
President of the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club will moderate.  

The panel discussion is being pre-recorded from the studios at “HOME: House of Miles
in ESL” on May 24th and will air on May 31st at 2:00 pm CT during a live Q&A
immediately following. We invite everyone to attend just by visiting
http://houseofmilesestl.org. It will open with music from “Miles Ahead” and close with a
Young Lions performance clip.

The 20th Anniversary Miles Davis Arts Festival will also present the Summer
Roundtable series that features monthly music and a conversation series from May
through September. The finalé includes a live Jazz event from House of Miles and virtual
tour of HOME: House of Miles where he grew up. 
House of Miles East St. Louis (HOME) is a non-profit 501(c)3 providing educational and
cultural enrichment opportunities at the restored childhood home of Miles Davis, the
most revered jazz trumpeter of all time, not to mention one of the most important
musicians of the 20th century.

HOME is the former home of Miles Davis. The historically significant property in East
St. Louis, IL. The home had been vacant for at least fifteen years and needed extensive
repair. 

HOME has completed Phase I and II of the restoration project, which includes all interior
and exterior restoration and the museum. For more information on activities and fund-
raising events visit HOME at http://houseofmilesestl.org.

Miles Davis’ always wanted Jazz music to keep moving forward and this would involve
our youth. Moving forward by visualizing a new future is what the 20th Anniversary
festival is all about. We are putting out a Call for Submissions for Transforming the
Narrative in this unprecedented citywide effort to celebrate Miles Davis the arts and
young adults. NEW TALENT will dominate MILES AHEAD: Transforming the
Narrative.The Young Lions category opens up to poetry, short stories, film, photography,
dance, art and theater. Visualizations and leadership events are being planned. June,
includes celebrity jazz musicians who played at the 2001 event that was held at the
Casino Queen on the ESL Riverfront. July will usher in the Young Lions (past, present,
& future), August is the deadline for submissions on Transforming the Narrative and will
feature an Art component and the curator of the Miles Exhibit from the Missouri History
Museum’s MILES: A RETROSPECTIVE 2001 that has since traveled to France, Brazil
and Japan. And September will highlight new music from Young Lions of jazz, and
introduce the winners and their art of Transforming the Narrative. 

The Summer of Miles is an homage to the 20th anniversary of the awesome 2001 Miles
Davis Arts Festival, which was held in this region on the weekend of Miles Davis’
Birthday, May 26th. During that weekend, there was a Miles Davis Exhibit curated by
Dr. Ben Cawthra at the Missouri History Museum; jam session by the “Young Lions” at
Frank Holten State Park; a play about Miles Davis, written and performed by Redina
Medley’s students; the Casino Queen’s parking lot became the stage where Herbie
Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, Phil Perry, Wayne Shorter, Russell Gunn, Clark Terry, the Jazz
Edge Band, Vince Wilburn Group (Miles nephew) and so many others drew a multi-
ethnic audience; and the panel “Milesville: The Man, The Music, The Milieu with
Michael Datcher, Reginal Petty, Eugene B. Redmond, Quincy Troupe, with Darlene Roy
as moderator, was presented at East St. Louis’ City Hall.