Carl Lumbly

Miles Davis (voice)

Reginald Petty

East St. Louis Resident

Quincy Troupe

Writer

Farah Griffin

Writer

Lee Annie Bonner

Childhood Friend

Ashley Kahn

Writer

Benjamin Cawthra

Historian

Jimmy Heath

Musician

Jimmy Cobb

Musician

Dan Morgenstern

Writer

Greg Tate

Writer

Gerald Early

Writer

Quincy Jones

Musician

Wayne Shorter

Musician

Tammy L. Kernodle

Musicologist

Juliette Gréco

Singer

Vincent Bessières

Writer

George Wein

Jazz Promoter

Eugene Redmond

East St. Louis Resident

Carlos Santana

Musician

Herbie Hancock

Musician

Marcus Miller

Musician

Cortez McCoy

Friend

Sandra McCoy

Friend

Jack Chambers

Historian

Frances Davis

Dancer / 1st Wife

René Urtreger

Musician

Joshua Redman

Musician

James Mtume

Musician

Lenny White

Musician

Vince Wilburn Jr.

Nephew

Archie Shepp

Musician

Stanley Crouch

Writer

Cheryl Davis

Daughter

Ron Carter

Musician

Clive Davis

Columbia Records President

Marguerite Cantú

Friend

Erin Davis

Son

Mark Rothbaum

Music Manager

Mike Stern

Musician

Mikel Elam

Personal Assistant

Jo Gelbard

Painter

Wallace Roney

Musician

Miles Davis

Musician (archive footage)

Walter Cronkite

Anchorman (archive footage)

Charlie Parker

Musician (archive footage)

Dizzy Gillespie

Musician (archive footage)

Thelonious Monk

Musician (archive footage)

Johnny Mathis

Singer (archive footage)

Louis Malle

Filmmaker (archive footage)

Jeanne Moreau

Actress (archive footage)

John Coltrane

Musician (archive footage)

Gil Evans

Music Arranger (archive footage)

Tony Williams

Musician (archive footage)

Betty Davis

Singer / 2nd Wife (archive footage)

Prince

Musician (archive footage)