Miles Davis | Top Albums

	Kind of Blue What can you possibly say about this album that hasn't already been said. It is the perfect melding of mood and musicians. It also marked an important turning point for Miles, Coltrane, and modern jazz, relying on modes rather than chord progressions to support the soloists. This is a great place to start if you're not familiar with Miles or modern jazz, as it features several musicians who would become nearly as influential as Davis himself: John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and pianist Bill Evans. A must have.
	In A Silent Way Bitches Brew created a bigger stir, but this is the album that marked Davis' entry into electric, rock-influenced music. Each side contains one piece, "Shhh/Peaceful" and "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time." The pieces were recorded nonstop in the studio, then edited to create the form of each composition. The result is an album where the interplay between the rhythm section and soloists is the main point of interest. It also has many of the hallmarks of music we today refer to as ambient. Featured musicians include Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and John McLaughlin.
	Bitches Brew Using the same creative concepts as In A Silent Way, Miles expanded the combo to include more percussion, bass clarinet, and two basses. The result is amazing--the rhythms of rock and the freewheeling interplay of free jazz. Richer, darker, and with more motion than In a Silent Way, it is the album that set Miles on the course he would follow until his semi-retirement of the late 1970s. Not for everyone--if you primarily like bebop Miles or the Gil Evans/Miles Davis collaborations, you might find this one tough going. On the other hand, if you are coming to Davis' music from funk or rock, this is a great place for you to start.
	Miles Ahead The first of several mid-50s collaborations with composer/arranger Gil Evans (1957). This is an innovative suite of music with Davis' gentle trumpet (and flugelhorn) work nestled in subtle, gorgeous arrangements that show off everything great about Miles' playing. To be honest, you can't miss with any of the Davis/Evans collaborations (for example, Porgy and Bess, though not listed here, is excellent as well). Personally, I wouldn't start with these albums if I wasn't familiar with Miles' other work, since they are a bit unusual in the Davis discography. However, if you've heard and liked Kind of Blue and some of the earlier Davis albums, this is a logical next step.
	Sketches of Spain This album has (suprise!) a decidedly Spanish flavor, but is very, very mellow music. So much so, in fact, that many critics derided it upon its release (Miles was going through this all his life, you see). Davis plays extraordinarily well, however, his tone clear and open and the notes precise. The flavor is a bit on the classical side, so if you are looking for something swinging, this isn't it. However, it's undeniably a beautiful album that shows Miles wasn't even playing "straightahead" this long ago, but was following his own interests.
	Complete Birth of the Cool This, as they say, is where it all started. The album is actually a collection of 1949-50 recordings made by a nonnet that included Davis, John Lewis, and Gerry Mulligan. The arrangements were mostly by Gil Evans, the first time Davis had worked with the ex-Claude Thornhill arranger. The sounds were quite different from the bebop music Davis had been playing up until that time, and the sessions ushered in the "cool jazz" sound (hence the name). This complete version offers the nonet in a live performance at the Royal Roost in 1948, one of few live recordings of this extraordinary group. Can be an excellent introduction to Davis and his music.
	Tutu This 1986 release heralded a new way of working for Miles. The only other musician on the album, handling the synth and drum programming, is Marcus Miller, who had played with Miles earlier in the '80s. The synthesizer sounds are a bit dated, marking this as an '80s recording, and there is obviously no real interplay between musicians or even between Miles & the programmed background. But the compositions are good ones and Miles' playing is very good here, and the funk/rock/sould amalgam that Davis had been working on since his comeback hit its stride on this album.
	Miles Smiles The second Miles Davis Quintet comprised of Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, and Ron Carter, was one of jazz music's most accomplished groups ever. Their groundbreaking work didn't receive the attention it should have at the time, but listeners later came flocking. The group took acoustic jazz to the most abstract place possible by the time of its dissolution in 1968, when Davis decided to move into electric music. This is complex jazz that is not to everyone's taste, but if you are a serious jazz listener or musician this group is your cup of tea (in which case you should spring for the box set, listed below).
	On the Corner What a swirling storm of controversy surrounded the release of On the Corner back in 1972! While many younger listeners had swarmed to purchase the jazz-fusion classic Bitches Brew in 1969, no one seemed to have any idea what Davis was up to on this recording. Though divided into tracks, the album is pretty much one long groove, and contains many elements that later surfaced (even defined) genres like electronica, hip-hop, drum n' bass, ambient, and other experimental electronic music. With time, remastering, and hindsight, it's easy to see that Miles was onto something here that he chose not to quite pursue--his live recordings of similarly electronically dense music veer much more into the ambient and illbient sounds. Not for everyone, and definitely not a starting point, but rewarding for some listeners.
	Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet, Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet, Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet Mile' first Quintet featured John Coltrane, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Chambers, and this group went as far as they could with standard bop and post-bop jazz. The rhythm section created greater unity than practically any ensemble before it (and many since). Davis was consistently in great form, making quiet statements with his muted trumpet or opening up to deliver declamations. Coltrane wasn't as consistent as he later became, but he had ideas to spare and on the best performances here matches Davis perfectly. The Prestige box set listed below is the way to go if straight ahead jazz is your style. A great starting point for any jazz listener.


Box Sets

	Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965
	Complete Bitches Brew Sessions This set offers the original album plus two discs of sessions recorded in 1970 and not released until much later. These sessions show Miles moving into a different sound than that on Bitches Brew, so the title is something of a misnomer, but if electric Miles is your thing, get this.
	Complete In A Silent Way Sessions This set picks up where the Miles Davis Quintet 1965-'68 leaves off, beginning with the tracks from Filles de Kilimanjaro where Chick Corea and Dave Holland replaced Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter. You also get to hear the tracks laid down for the Silent Way album without the edits, and some studio work the same group did a bit later that were not released for some time. Not everyone needs this, but it does provide great insight into Miles' working methods in preparing for this album.
	Miles Davis Quintet 1965-'68: The Complete Columbia Studio Sessions The quintessential modern jazz combo presented complete. What this group did in three short years is nothing short of amazing. Not only are all of their albums included, but you get such groundbreaking sessions as "Circle In the Round" which presaged Miles' electric work and was not released until the late '70s.
	Complete Miles Davis at Montreux If you love Miles' post-comeback work (1980s) you will love this set. The real surprise, though, is that Davis and his groups were creating great live music that just didn't come through on the much-maligned '80s studio albums. If you like the funky, R&B side of Miles, or are crazy about albums like Tutu, Amandla, and You're Under Arrest, you'll love this collection.
	Miles Davis/Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings All of the late '50s collaborations that Davis did with composer/arranger Gil Evans. Excellent music--what else is there to say?
	Miles Davis/John Coltrane: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings All of the work from the Columbia catalog featuring Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Includes such classic albums as 'Round Midnight, Milestones, Someday My Prince Will Come, and Kind of Blue. If you can only buy one Miles Davis box set (and want acoustic jazz) this is probably your best bet.
	Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings 1951-'56 Everything recorded by Davis' first Quintet, featuring a young John Coltrane hinting at his ability to completely deconstruct bebop. The first two discs sport some early work that isn't as essential as those featuring all six of the Quintet's classic albums for Prestige, but there is enough of interest to make the box worth getting if you are going to get all the albums individually anyway.

COLLECTIONS , ETC.
	Live Around the World Nice selection of live performances by Davis' 1980s bands, many of which were not recorded live until the release of the Complete Miles at Montreux set. Includes a performance of "Hannibal" from Davis' final public performance.
	Ballads and Blues A nice selection from Davis' Blue Note work. Certainly nothing new for serious fans, but for the casual listener it's a nice collection.
	Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969-1974 Producer Bill Laswell remixes some classic Davis electric tracks, pushing some instruments forward and adding greater clarity overall. Purists will not like anyone messing with Davis' work, but this is so clearly in the spirit of his electric recordings that it's hard to see how anyone could really object.
	The Essential Miles Davis It's pretty presumptuous to think it possible to get the essential Davis on 2 discs, but this is a pretty good collection, after all. You get a smattering of Birth of the Cool, the first and second Quintets, the work with Gil Evans, the electric stuff, a couple tracks from the funky comeback albums and even "Portia" from Tutu. A really good starting point for determining what aspect of Davis you like most and what you might want to delve more deeply into.
	Love Songs A selection of romantic tracks from 1957-1964, with the addition of "Time After Time" and "Human Nature." Not of any interest to the serious Davis fan, but a nice collection of mood music for those seeking it.
	The Columbia Years, 1955-'85 A four disc collection that spans all of Davis' work for Columbia. Divided into sections such as "Standards", "Originals", and "Electric" it provides blocks of moods rather than a strict chronological order. A good listen for those who want a bit more than the 2-disc "Essential" offers.