Miles Davis, in full Miles Dewey Davis III, (born May 26, 1926, Alton, Illinois, U.S.—died September 28, 1991, Santa Monica, California), is an American jazz musician, a great trumpeter who as a bandleader and composer was one of the major influences on the art from the late 1940s. Miles Davis was arguably the most influential jazz musician in the post-World War II period, being at the forefront of changes in the genre for more than 40 years. Jazz is the only truly American art form, and no one has had such a profound and wide-ranging impact on jazz as Miles Davis. As a bandleader and composer, Miles Davis has influenced most, if not all, notable musicians and bands from all genres of music.Miles Davis, in full Miles Dewey Davis III, (born May 26, 1926, Alton, Illinois, U.S.—died September 28, 1991, Santa Monica, California), is an American jazz musician, a great trumpeter who as a bandleader and composer was one of the major influences on the art from the late 1940s. Jazz is the only truly American art form, and no one has had such a profound and wide-ranging impact on jazz as Miles Davis. As a bandleader and composer, Miles Davis has influenced most, if not all, notable musicians and bands from all genres of music.