The Miles Davis Story chronicles the life of one of the most influential but enigmatic figures the world of jazz has produced. A man who, in his late performing years, would turn his back on his audiences. Or walk off stage for long periods, returning only when it was time for one of his trumpet solos.

Was he showing contempt for his audience, or disinterest in his music? Or was it merely affectation? Or the need for a nicotine hit? Does there have to be a reason? Right 'til the end, his solos remained piercingly beautiful and potent in their simplicity and passion. The man may have been an enigma; however his music always spoke directly to us.

The Miles Davis Story concentrates both on the man and the music. It's a tough balancing act, but it succeeds in both tracing the evolution of his rapidly changing musical styles, and in telling the details of his often tortured life. His life is recounted in interview with friends and colleagues, and, most revealingly, in lengthy reminiscences from some of the women who had loved and lived with him.

Miles Davis was the only trumpeter able to break free of the very long shadow of the great Louis Armstrong - to produce an individual style that broke conclusively with the past. His style was simple, pure and restrained - the silences between his notes spoke volumes. In an age of excess, he proved again and again that less is more.

This British documentary by Mike Dibb, produced for Channel Four Television, is a model of its kind. It is honest and revelatory, stripping its subject bare, but doing nothing to diminish his artistry and achievements. It is a documentary worthy of its subject, a man who remains the most important and influential figure in jazz in the past 50 years.

This documentary is presented in its original 1.78:1 (16:9 enhanced) ratio. The image is always clear and clean; the producers also seem to have taken great trouble in sourcing the finest vintage film material.

The audio is presented in Linear PCM two-channel stereo, which serves its purpose for a feature told through mostly mono archival footage. The modern interviews are presented with crisp, always easily audible sound.

The disc comes with a text biography which adds nothing to the documentary's own story. There is an illustrated discography which discusses only the Sony albums of Miles Davis, and leaves out all mention of the important early Prestige label recordings of the mid-1950s.