Ennio Morricone, the Italian film composer renowned for his patriotic devotion to European cinema, made a rare exception in his assessment of American musicians when he called Miles Davis a "genius" in a 2010 retrospective. This singular accolade was unprecedented in Morricone's public pronouncements, as he famously resisted Hollywood's pull and worked predominantly with European directors, yet Davis's innovative approach to jazz profoundly influenced his own compositional style from early in his career.

Morricone began as a jazz trumpeter in the 1940s and was shaped by American jazz greats, with Davis proving particularly significant. Both men shared striking parallels: they played muted trumpet, embraced experimental and individualistic approaches to their art, and drew from modernist influences—Davis explored fusion on albums like Bitches Brew whilst Morricone blended classical, contemporary and avant-garde elements. Though they never collaborated, their mutual respect exemplifies their standing as giants in their respective fields, with Morricone unable to select a single Davis album as his favourite owing to the breadth and depth of the musician's catalogue.