Guildhall Jazz Orchestra: Aura

Composed in tribute to Miles Davis in 1984, and the final album to be released during his lifetime, Aura saw Miles collaborate with Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg to create a unique conceptual work. The ten movements encompass everything from blues to funk to reggae, and represent, in the broadest possible terms, what writer Herb Wong described as Miles’ “charismatic and nutritious aura”.

The work’s main theme consists of ten notes generated from the letters ‘M-I-L-E-S-D-A-V-I-S’, with each movement representing a different colour of Davis’ aura as seen by Mikkelborg. It was described by Fred Kaplan of New York magazine as a “jolting synthesis of jazz, rock, and Messiaen-influenced classical music that lit up a future path lamentably unfollowed”.

In this concert performance, Guildhall Jazz Orchestra – under the direction of Scott Stroman and with special guest trumpet player Robbie Robson – return to the original orchestral score to present a fresh look at the material that was to become one of Miles’ finest works for the final decade of his life.

The performance will begin with a pre-recorded audio track and excerpts from the documentary Days With Miles: The Making of Aura and a recent recorded conversation between Palle Mikkelborg and director Scott Stroman.

This performance of Aura will be as close to the composer’s original vision as possible. Mikkelborg conceived the suite as an all-embracing live experience, a through-composed journey through the auras of Miles to be travelled together.