Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke Bring Jazz to the Big Screen

Jazz legends Miles Davis and Chet Baker spent their careers, especially during the 1950s, orbiting one another from separate coast — Davis in the East and Baker the West.

Now, new biopics — "Miles Ahead" starring Don Cheadle as Davis (opens April 1), and "Born to Be Blue" with Ethan Hawke embodying Baker (opened in limited release, March 25) — are celebrating the two artists once again. 

WNYC's John Schaefer spoke with the actors about how they prepared for the roles, the challenges of portraying men who dealt with addiction (Baker heroin; Davis cocaine) and the current state of jazz in America.

Hear extended interviews with Cheadle and Hawke on WNYC's Soundcheck podcast.