Miles Davis • Walkin'

 

Review
by Lindsay Planer
The undeniable strength and conviction present in Miles Davis' performance on Walkin', underscores the urgency and passion with which he would rightfully reclaim his status as a primary architect of bop. Davis is supported by his all-stars, consisting of his primary rhythm unit: Horace Silver (piano), Percy Heath (bass), and Kenny Clarke (drums). The sextet featured on the title track, as well as "Blue 'n' Boogie," adds the talents of J.J. Johnson (trombone) and Lucky Thompson (tenor sax). Davis' quintet includes the primary trio and Dave Schildkraut (alto sax). Perhaps not an instantly recognizable name, Schildkraut nonetheless made some notable contributions to Stan Kenton's Kenton Showcase EPs, concurrent with his work with Miles. Walkin' commences with the extended title track, which follows a standard 12-bar blues theme. While the solos from Johnson and Thomson are unique, Miles retains a palpable sense of extrication from the music -- as if the song was an extension of his solo instead of the other way around. The lethargic rhythms reiterate the subtle adornments of the horn section to the basic trio. In direct contrast to "Walkin'" is a full-tilt jumper, "Blue 'n' Boogie." The improvisation yields some truly memorable solos and exchanges between Davis and Johnson -- who can be heard clearly quoting from Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning." "Solar" maintains a healthy tempo while drawing the listener in to the delicate interplay where the solos often dictate the melody. Horace Silver's piano solo is Ellington-esque in it's subdued elegance. The final track, "Love Me or Leave Me," gives the most solid indication of the direction Miles' impending breakthrough would take. So swift and certain is each note of his solo, it reflects the accuracy of someone thinking several notes ahead of what he is playing. Walking is a thoroughly solid effort.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/walkin-mw0000232471

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Reseña
por Lindsay Planer
La innegable fuerza y convicción presentes en la interpretación de Miles Davis en Walkin', subraya la urgencia y la pasión con la que reclamaría con razón su estatus de arquitecto principal del bop. Davis está apoyado por sus estrellas, que son su principal unidad rítmica: Horace Silver (piano), Percy Heath (bajo) y Kenny Clarke (batería). El sexteto que aparece en el tema principal, así como en "Blue 'n' Boogie", añade el talento de J.J. Johnson (trombón) y Lucky Thompson (saxo tenor). El quinteto de Davis incluye el trío principal y Dave Schildkraut (saxo alto). Tal vez no sea un nombre reconocible al instante, pero Schildkraut hizo algunas contribuciones notables a los EPs Kenton Showcase de Stan Kenton, al mismo tiempo que su trabajo con Miles. Walkin' comienza con el extenso tema del título, que sigue un tema estándar de blues de 12 compases. Mientras que los solos de Johnson y Thomson son únicos, Miles conserva una sensación palpable de extricción de la música, como si la canción fuera una extensión de su solo en lugar de lo contrario. Los ritmos aletargados reiteran los sutiles adornos de la sección de vientos al trío básico. En contraste directo con "Walkin'" hay un salto a toda máquina, "Blue 'n' Boogie". La improvisación produce algunos solos e intercambios verdaderamente memorables entre Davis y Johnson -- a quien se le puede oír citar claramente el "Rhythm-A-Ning" de Thelonious Monk. "Solar" mantiene un ritmo saludable mientras atrae al oyente a la delicada interacción en la que los solos a menudo dictan la melodía. El solo de piano de Horace Silver se asemeja a Ellington en su tenue elegancia. El tema final, "Love Me or Leave Me", es la indicación más sólida de la dirección que tomaría el inminente avance de Miles. Cada nota de su solo es tan rápida y segura que refleja la precisión de alguien que piensa varias notas antes de lo que está tocando. Walking es un esfuerzo completamente sólido.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/walkin-mw0000232471

Miles Davis • The Very Best Of Miles Davis 1985-1991

 

www.milesdavis.com ...

Miles Davis • Ascenseur Pour L'Échafaud [Limited Deluxe Edition]

 

Review :

Jazz and film noir are perfect bedfellows, as evidenced by the soundtrack of Louis Malle's Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (Lift to the Scaffold). This dark and seductive tale is wonderfully accentuated by the late-'50s cool or bop music of Miles Davis, played with French jazzmen -- bassist Pierre Michelot, pianist René Urtreger, and tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen -- and American expatriate drummer Kenny Clarke. This recording evokes the sensual nature of a mysterious chanteuse and the contrasting scurrying rat race lifestyle of the times, when the popularity of the automobile, cigarettes, and the late-night bar scene were central figures. Davis had seen a screening of the movie prior to his making of this music, and knew exactly how to portray the smoky hazed or frantic scenes though sonic imagery, dictated by the trumpeter mainly in D-minor and C-seventh chords. Michelot is as important a figure as the trumpeter because he sets the tone, as on the stalking "Visite du Vigile." While the mood of the soundtrack is generally dour and somber, the group collectively picks up the pace exponentially on "Diner au Motel." At times the distinctive Davis trumpet style is echoed into dire straits or death wish motifs, as on "Generique" or "L'Assassinat de Carala," respectively. Clarke is his usual marvelous self, and listeners should pay close attention to the able Urtreger, by no means a virtuoso but a capable and flexible accompanist. This recording can stand proudly alongside Duke Ellington's music from Anatomy of a Murder and the soundtrack of Play Misty for Me as great achievements of artistic excellence in fusing dramatic scenes with equally compelling modern jazz music.

by Michael G. Nastos 

https://www.allmusic.com/album/ascenseur-pour-l%C3chafaud-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000203518

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Reseña:

El jazz y el cine negro son perfectos compañeros de cama, como lo demuestra la banda sonora de Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (Ascensor para el andamio) de Louis Malle. Esta historia oscura y seductora está maravillosamente acentuada por la música cool o bop de Miles Davis de finales de los años 50, interpretada por jazzistas franceses -el bajista Pierre Michelot, el pianista René Urtreger y el saxofonista tenor Barney Wilen- y el baterista expatriado estadounidense Kenny Clarke. Esta grabación evoca la naturaleza sensual de una misteriosa cantante y el contrastante estilo de vida de las carreras de ratas de los tiempos en que la popularidad del automóvil, los cigarrillos y la escena de los bares nocturnos eran figuras centrales. Davis había visto una proyección de la película antes de hacer esta música, y sabía exactamente cómo retratar las humeantes neblinas o escenas frenéticas a través de imágenes sónicas, dictadas por el trompetista principalmente en acordes de Re menor y Do séptima. Michelot es una figura tan importante como el trompetista porque marca el tono, como en la acechanza "Visite du Vigile". Mientras que el ambiente de la banda sonora es generalmente agrio y sombrío, el grupo recoge el ritmo de forma exponencial en "Diner au Motel". A veces el distintivo estilo de la trompeta de Davis se hace eco en los motivos de los apuros o los deseos de muerte, como en "Generique" o "L'Assassinat de Carala", respectivamente. Clarke es su habitual maravilla, y los oyentes deberían prestar mucha atención al hábil Urtreger, no un virtuoso sino un acompañante capaz y flexible. Esta grabación puede estar orgullosa junto con la música de Duke Ellington de Anatomía de un asesinato y la banda sonora de Play Misty for Me como grandes logros de excelencia artística en la fusión de escenas dramáticas con música de jazz moderno igualmente convincente.

por Michael G. Nastos 

https://www.allmusic.com/album/ascenseur-pour-l%C3chafaud-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000203518

www.milesdavis.com ...

 

Miles Davis • Sorcerer

 

Review from AllMusic (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine):
Sorcerer, the third album by the second Miles Davis Quintet, is in a sense a transitional album, a quiet, subdued affair that rarely blows hot, choosing to explore cerebral tonal colorings. Even when the tempo picks up, as it does on the title track, there's little of the dense, manic energy on Miles Smiles -- this is about subtle shadings, even when the compositions are as memorable as Tony Williams' "Pee Wee" or Herbie Hancock's "Sorcerer." As such, it's a little elusive, since it represents the deepening of the band's music as they choose to explore different territory. It's such a layered, intriguing work.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sorcerer-mw0000197402

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Reseña de AllMusic (por Stephen Thomas Erlewine):
Sorcerer, el tercer álbum del segundo Quinteto de Miles Davis, es en cierto sentido un álbum de transición, un asunto tranquilo y moderado que rara vez se calienta, optando por explorar coloridos tonales cerebrales. Incluso cuando el tempo se acelera, como en la pista del título, hay poca de la energía densa y maníaca de Miles Smiles -- esto se trata de matices sutiles, incluso cuando las composiciones son tan memorables como "Pee Wee" de Tony Williams o "Sorcerer" de Herbie Hancock. Como tal, es un poco elusivo, ya que representa la profundización de la música de la banda mientras eligen explorar territorio diferente. Es un trabajo en capas e intrigante.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sorcerer-mw0000197402

 

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Clawing at the Limits of Cool: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and the Greatest Jazz Collaboration Ever

 

When the renowned trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis chose the members of his quintet in 1955, he passed over well-known, respected saxophonists such as Sonny Rollins to pick out the young, still untested John Coltrane. What might have seemed like a minor decision at the time would instead set the course not just for each of their careers but for jazz itself.

Clawing at the Limits of Cool is the first book to focus on Davis and Coltrane’s musical interaction and its historical context, on the ways they influenced each other and the tremendous impact they’ve had on culture since then. It chronicles the drama of their collaboration, from their initial historic partnership to the interlude of their breakup, during which each man made tremendous progress toward his personal artistic goals. And it continues with the last leg of their journey together, a time when the Miles Davis group, featuring John Coltrane, forever changed the landscape of jazz.

Authors Farah Jasmine Griffin and Salim Washington examine the profound implications that the Davis/Coltrane collaboration would have for jazz and African American culture, drawing parallels to the changing standards of African American identity with their public personas and private difficulties. With vastly different personal and musical styles, the two men could not have been more different. One exemplified the tough, closemouthed cool of the fifties while the other made the transition during this time from unfocused junkie to a religious pilgrim who would inspire others to pursue spiritual enlightenment in the coming decade.

Their years together mark a watershed moment, and Clawing at the Limits of Cool draws on both cultural history and precise musical detail to illuminate the importance that their collaboration would have for jazz and American history as a whole.

 

Kind of Blue Miles Davis and the Making of a Masterpiece

 

Jazz musicians call it The Bible. Critics call it the one jazz album every fan must own. Forty-one years since its recording in 1959, it has sold millions worldwide and sits near the top of any list of most important records of the century. How did two impromptu sessions produce such a timeless acknowledged masterpiece?Now, for the first time, Ashley Kahn takes us into the studio to witness the creation of an album that still thrills jazz musicians, enthusiasts, and newcomers alike with its deceptively simple tunes. Using eyewitness accounts and newly discovered documents, Kahn traces Miles's move from bop to modal jazz, re-creates the sessions using master tapes (weighing in on fragmentary takes and the dispute about composers), and follows the rise of the album from its contemporary reception to its transformation into a cultural landmark through conversations with those who were there. Extensively researched and copiously illustrated, Kind of Blue recovers an invaluable piece of musical history and heightens fans' appreciation of the album they know and love.New and never-before-published material in Kind of Blue includes: The complete, unedited master session tapes, with analysis of fragmentary takes that have never been released, and studio dialogue between Davis and the musicians Over forty new interviews with musicians, producers, and critics, including Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones, Quincy Troupe, George Avakian, Nat Hentoff-and the only people still living who witnessed the making of the album: Jimmy Cobb, engineer Bob Waller, and photographer Don Hunstein Previously unpublished photos of the recording session, featuring a rare shot of Miles's charts Studio logs and internal memos from Columbia about the making and marketing of the album The handwritten version of Bill Evans's famous liner notes 

 

Ashley Kahn (Autor)

VA • Blue Note 101 Jazz Icons

 

Review by Gregory Heaney
Blue Note Records has been home to some of the greatest names in jazz, and with its Blue Note 101 series, the storied label has been looking to introduce a whole new crop of listeners to some of the legendary artists on its roster with a series of introductory compilations. On Blue Note 101: Jazz Icons, the series gets to the real meat of the jazz world with a collection featuring some of the most influential names in the genre. Featuring tracks like Thelonious Monk's manic "Four in One" and John Coltrane's smoothly propulsive "Moment's Notice," the compilation will set new listeners down the path of enlightenment toward a cooler tomorrow. 
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-note-101-jazz-icons-mw0002665018

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Reseña de Gregory Heaney
Blue Note Records ha sido el hogar de algunos de los grandes nombres del jazz, y con su serie Blue Note 101, el histórico sello busca presentar a una nueva generación de oyentes algunos de los artistas legendarios de su catálogo con una serie de recopilatorios introductorios. En Blue Note 101: Jazz Icons, la serie llega a la esencia del mundo del jazz con una colección que incluye a algunos de los nombres más influyentes del género. Con temas como el frenético "Four in One" de Thelonious Monk y el ágil "Moment's Notice" de John Coltrane, el recopilatorio guiará a los nuevos oyentes hacia un futuro más prometedor.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-note-101-jazz-icons-mw0002665018

Cannonball Adderley • Somethin' Else

 

Cannonball Adderley • Somethin' Else [mono]

 

Milesː La autobiografía

 

Miles Davis ha sido uno de los músicos más importantes e influyentes del mundo. Su extraordinaria vida ha sido objeto de numerosas biografías, sin embargo, no fue hasta 1989, dos antes de su muerte, cuando publicó su autobiografía. En ella Miles se desnuda ante el lector y habla con toda crudeza de su vida personal, de su adicción a las drogas, del alcohol, de su relación con las mujeres, del racismo que existía en el negocio de la música y, sobretodo, de música y de músicos, de su relación personal con leyendas del jazz como Charlie Parker o Dizzy Gillespie, entre otros. Además de un documento histórico de incalculable valor es una narración apasionante e intensa.

 

Listen to Thisː Miles Davis and Bitches Brew

Listen to This stands out as the first book exclusively dedicated to Davis's watershed 1969 album, Bitches Brew. Victor Svorinich traces its incarnations and inspirations for ten-plus years before its release. The album arrived as the jazz scene waned beneath the rise of rock-and-roll and as Davis (1926–1991) faced large changes in social conditions affecting the African American consciousness. This new climate served as a catalyst for an experiment that many considered a major departure. Davis's new music projected rock-and-roll sensibilities, the experimental essence of 1960s' counterculture, yet also harsh dissonances of African American reality. Many listeners embraced it, while others misunderstood and rejected the concoction.

Listen to This is not just the story of Bitches Brew. It reveals much of the legend of Miles Davis―his attitude and will, his grace under pressure, his bands, his relationship to the masses, his business and personal etiquette, and his response to extraordinary social conditions seemingly aligned to bring him down. Svorinich revisits the mystery and skepticism surrounding the album and places it into both a historical and musical context using new interviews, original analysis, recently found recordings, unearthed session data sheets, memoranda, letters, musical transcriptions, scores, and a wealth of other material. Additionally, Listen to This encompasses a thorough examination of producer Teo Macero's archives and Bitches Brew's original session reels in order to provide the only complete day-to-day account of the sessions.

So What: The Life of Miles Davis

 

Musical genius, visionary artist, enigma -- more than ten years after his death, Miles Davis still looms large as a cultural icon. In this, the first new biography since Davis' death, John Szwed draws on various archives and never-before-published interviews with those who knew him to produce the richest and most revealing portrait of Miles Davis to date.
The shy son of a dentist from Illinois, Miles Dewey Davis III would go through several transformations before becoming the image of cool. Change, says Szwed, was the driving force in both Davis' life and music -- as quickly as he established a new direction in his music and a new identity, he would radically reinvent both. He seemed to thrive on close musical relationships -- playing with jazz greats from Charlie Parker to John Coltrane and working with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, and composer Gil Evans, among others -- and yet the enduring image of Davis is of a lone figure, famously turning his back on the audience. He was at the peak of his career, having achieved star status, when he withdrew from the spotlight, spending years as a recluse. These seeming contradictions fueled the myths surrounding the man, but Szwed's insights into Davis' personality and artistic creativity shed new light on his life, from his turbulent relationships to his drug use and mysterious last days. Elegantly written and carefully researched, So What is the authoritative life of an artist who was always ahead of his time. 

 

Jazz Makers Vanguards of Sound

 

Jazz Makers gathers together short biographies of more than 50 of jazz's greatest stars, from its early beginnings to the present. The stories of these innovative instrumentalists, bandleaders, and composers reveal the fascinating history of jazz in six parts:
* The Pioneers, including Scott Joplin, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie Smith
* Swing Bands and Soloists, with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday
* The Piano Giants, featuring Fats Waller, Art Tatum, and Mary Lou Williams
* Birth of Bebop, including Dizzy Gillepsie, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis
* Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, and Fusion, with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Stan Getz
* A Century of Jazz, featuring Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, and other contemporary greats.

VA • Be-Bop And Post Bop

 

Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, J.J. Johnson, Wardell Gray, Stan Getz, Lennie Tristano, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Charles Mingus, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, Miles Davis.

Charlie Parker • Bird On 52nd Street

 

Review by Scott Yanow
Altoist Charlie Parker plays quite brilliantly on this live set with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Max Roach but the recording quality is consistently crummy and sometimes borders on the unlistenable. In fact, if it featured any other player but Bird, the music would certainly have not been released. For true Charlie Parker completists only.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/bird-on-52nd-st-mw0000080262

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Reseña de Scott Yanow
El contralto Charlie Parker toca de forma brillante en esta grabación en directo con el trompetista Miles Davis, el pianista Duke Jordan, el bajista Tommy Potter y el batería Max Roach, pero la calidad de la grabación es deficiente y a veces roza lo inescuchable. De hecho, si hubiera contado con cualquier otro intérprete que no fuera Bird, la música seguramente no se habría publicado. Sólo para verdaderos coleccionistas de Charlie Parker.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/bird-on-52nd-st-mw0000080262

Miles Davis Quintet • Milano 1964

 

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VA • Autour De Minuit - After Midnight

 

Bill Evans, Shirley Horn, Billie Holiday, Wes Montgomery, Chet Baker, Mel Torme ...

Miles Davis • Miles in The Sky [1998]

 

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Miles Davis • Miles in The Sky

 

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Miles Davis • Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet

 

Review
by Lindsay Planer
Relaxin' features the Miles Davis Quintet in a pair of legendary recording dates -- from May and October of 1956 -- which would generate enough music to produce four separate long-players: Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin'. Each of these is considered not only to be among the pinnacle of Davis' work, but of the entire bop subgenre as well. As with the other titles, Relaxin' contains a variety of material which the band had concurrently been performing in their concert appearances.
In a brilliant stroke of time conservation, the scheme was hatched for the quintet -- who includes: Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Philly Joe Jones (drums), and Red Garland (piano) -- to perform the equivalent of their live repertoire in the studio for eventual release.
The results are consistently superior both in terms of song selection as well as performance. The solid nature of the unit as a singular musical force is immediately apparent. "If I Were a Bell" -- from the play Guys and Dolls -- includes some remarkable soloing via Coltrane and Garland. Davis' solos are additionally impressive, as they're derived from the same four-note motive as the melody. Hearing the many variations that he comes up with throughout the song conveys how intrigued Davis must have been by the tune, as it stayed in his performance repertoire for decades. Tracks such as "You're My Everything" and "Oleo" highlight the synchronic nature of Davis and Coltrane as they carry each other's melodies while trading off solos. The steady syncopation of Philly Joe Jones keeps the rhythms tight and the delicate interplay all the more conspicuous. Relaxin' offers something for every degree of jazz enthusiast.
Likewise, the quintet's recordings provide a tremendous introduction for the curious jazz consumer.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/relaxin-with-the-miles-davis-quintet-mw0000188060

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Reseña
por Lindsay Planer
Relaxin' presenta al Miles Davis Quintet en un par de legendarias grabaciones -- de Mayo y Octubre de 1956 -- que generarían suficiente música para producir cuatro long-players separados: Cookin', Relaxin', Workin' y Steamin'. Cada uno de ellos se considera no sólo una de las cumbres de la obra de Davis, sino también de todo el subgénero del bop. Al igual que los otros títulos, Relaxin' contiene una variedad de material que la banda había interpretado simultáneamente en sus conciertos.
En un brillante golpe de conservación del tiempo, se urdió el plan para que el quinteto -- que incluye a: Davis (trompeta), John Coltrane (saxo tenor), Philly Joe Jones (batería) y Red Garland (piano), interpretara el equivalente de su repertorio en directo en el estudio para su posterior publicación.
Los resultados son siempre superiores, tanto en la selección de canciones como en la interpretación. La solidez de la unidad como fuerza musical singular es evidente de inmediato. "If I Were a Bell", de la obra Guys and Dolls, incluye algunos solos notables de Coltrane y Garland. Los solos de Davis son además impresionantes, ya que se derivan del mismo motivo de cuatro notas que la melodía. Escuchar las numerosas variaciones que se le ocurren a lo largo de la canción demuestra lo intrigado que debía de estar Davis por la melodía, que permaneció en su repertorio durante décadas. Temas como "You're My Everything" y "Oleo" ponen de relieve la naturaleza sincrónica de Davis y Coltrane, ya que llevan las melodías del otro mientras intercambian solos. La síncopa constante de Philly Joe Jones mantiene los ritmos apretados y la delicada interacción aún más llamativa. Relaxin' ofrece algo para cada grado de entusiasta del jazz.
Del mismo modo, las grabaciones del quinteto suponen una magnífica introducción para el consumidor curioso de jazz.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/relaxin-with-the-miles-davis-quintet-mw0000188060

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