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Post by sztiv on May 16, 2017 21:15:37 GMT
I really have very little of his music and I'm not madly keen on any of it. Some Be Bop with Charlie Parker from the 40s, Miles Ahead, Porgy & Bess, Live in Europe (1963) & In A Silent Way. Probably I haven't chosen very well.
Obviously his career was rather long and like so many great artists his work never stopped developing. i think this is why I find it hard to know where to jump in, there's just so much of it!
Could someone please do me the kindness of recommending 3-4 LPs that are sufficiently different to each other to help me appreciate the development of his music over time.
I guess I'm going to have to take the plunge and buy Kind of Blue (after all I adore Bill Evans) but I'm really not sure I'm going to enjoy listening to Bitches Brew.
Of course I could just read a few of the endless Miles Davis for beginners articles on the web but what is this forum for exactly if not something like this?
Thank you.
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Post by Martin on May 16, 2017 21:43:00 GMT
I'll make a first stab at this but I should begin by declaring my prejudices when it comes to Miles. First, my interest ends as soon as we get to the electric period, so no Bitches Brew in my house! Second, I much prefer small group Miles, so many of the Gil Evans collaborations are off my radar.
Given that, I suggest the following as representative of different stages:
1). Birth of the Cool as exactly what it says on the tin.
2). Any one of Cookin', Relaxin', Workin' or Steamin' on Prestige as representative of the so-called First Great Quintet. My personal favourite of the four in Relaxin' but they're all great.
3). I don't think you can avoid Kind of Blue.
4). Friday/Saturday Night at the Blackhawk partly for Hank Mobley (who is unfairly maligned), partly because it's the first live LP and shows why this group was so popular on the road and an awful lot because of Wynton Kelly's contribution.
5). Miles Smiles, the all too frequently overlooked masterpiece of the so-called Second Great Quintet and, in my book, the best Miles LP ever.
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Post by gst on May 16, 2017 21:47:21 GMT
I'll second Martin's list (I love Birth of the Cool), and I'll add "Sketches of Spain" which is one of my personal favorites.
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Post by gregorythefish on May 16, 2017 22:17:22 GMT
I am also fairly lukewarm on miles, but I should add that I absolutely LOVE "l'ascenseur pour l'échafaud", the soundtrack he made in france. 10/10 stuff.
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Post by dottorjazz on May 17, 2017 5:14:48 GMT
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Post by proteus on May 17, 2017 17:07:01 GMT
I don't think these have been mentioned
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Post by Rich on May 17, 2017 19:26:42 GMT
I have a playlist on my Spotify for Miles, it's all my favorites, mostly from the era 1956-1961 (the songs that say they're from the album "Chronicles" are really on Cookin'): My favorite Miles albums are probably KOB, Round About Midnight, and Cookin.
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kev
New Member
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Post by kev on May 19, 2017 11:13:31 GMT
I've put a case for 'Someday My Prince Will Come', as a starting point, elsewhere.
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Post by sztiv on May 21, 2017 8:32:04 GMT
I've put a case for 'Someday My Prince Will Come', as a starting point, elsewhere. Yes indeed you did.. "I suggest this as an alternative to Kind Of Blue, mainly because KOB is the masterpiece that everybody else recommends. If you like SDMPWC you will buy KOB too- but if you buy KOB first then you may overlook this gem." Maybe that's another reason I've never bought a copy of KOB, the fear of missing out on another gem. I've been listening to TEO on youtube and have decided that Someday My Prince Will Come should be my next Miles Davis acquisition. Thank you everyone. Even without the thread reaching 20 posts and covering his entire discography, it still notched up about 15 different recordings. There's a very good chance that, with the exception of In A Silent Way which I already own and don't understand, I'd like all of them.
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Post by gregorythefish on May 21, 2017 15:47:12 GMT
If you dislike In a Silent Way, I'd stay away from just about everything recorded after, though plenty of that is really great, in my opinion.
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Post by alunsevern on May 25, 2017 7:49:42 GMT
Steve,
I'm going to recommend the four LPs that I have been fondest of over the years -- and then add a caveat:
Relaxin' -- great late night ballad playing, atmospheric studio recording, the famous Miles voice interjecting. Round About Midnight -- one of the most consistently satisfying LPs. Kind of Blue -- it is, simply, impossible to ignore, and senseless to sidestep. Some Day My Prince -- not amongst the greatest, perhaps, but for sheer pleasure it's hard to beat.
The caveat:
-- Don't feel you have to explore the electric period unless you want to.
-- Don't miss the four quintet records released between 64 and 67: ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti. These, to my mind, offer listening for a life time.
-- Even if you have no great affection for big band/large ensemble jazz, don't miss Sketches of Spain. This Moroccan influenced call to prayer still remains essential. Aranjuez isn't the best thing on it: flip it and play side two: that's where Miles and Gil really tear up the rule book and recast jazz.
And most of all: enjoy, enjoy, enjoy...
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Post by jonathanvino on Feb 1, 2018 6:38:35 GMT
-- Don't miss the four quintet records released between 64 and 67: ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti. These, to my mind, offer listening for a life time. In my opinion this is his greatest period and one of the all time great Jazz quintets. Check out Live at the Plugged Nickel recorded in '65. They are ripping through the old standards. Miles Smiles is quite possibly my favorite from this period. And I really love Files de Kilimanjaro. From the earlier era I'm a big fan of Milestones. Recorded right before KOB. I play that one a lot. If you want an amazing read. Check out his autobiography "Miles". One of the best I've ever read
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Post by sztiv on Feb 1, 2018 20:35:12 GMT
I'm still searching for an acceptable copy of Some Day My Prince Will Come.
I'm wearing blinkers and refuse to be led astray by the potential of worthy alternatives.
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alex
New Member
Posts: 10
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Post by alex on Apr 18, 2019 19:11:45 GMT
Late to the party, hope it's not too late to chime in.
I adore Miles. His all time best work is Kind of Blue. I didn't realize how great that record actually is until I got my hands on the original very first mono pressing. The music on that pressing is the music of gods. Any other pressing of that album I've heard pales in comparison.
My second favourite Miles album is -- ready for a shock? -- Miles Davis In Concert! His double LP capturing his live performance at the New York Philharmonic Hall (recorded in 1972) is another divine recording. The music is in full stasis, and the band is in full on experimental mode playing with textures. But god, do they cook on all cylinders!
I was never able to understand the false dichotomy of 'acoustic Miles/electric Miles'. It's all Miles. One of the greatest musicians ever. Miles the shaman, Miles the innovator. He plays music of the spheres; all you need is some patience to sit down and listen. Forget about categories, timelines, etc. Just listen.
Another one of his great records is Dark Magus, recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1974. Caveat: the CD version sounds pretty bad; I recommend getting a good vinyl copy.
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Post by sztiv on Apr 18, 2019 19:59:55 GMT
I eventually found a US 1961 stereo copy of SDMPWC from a gentleman in Holland. It arrived broken in 5 pieces and the sender had to refund my money (I still have the cover). So I went out and bought another one. I also invested in an OJC copy of Relaxin' with the 5-tet.
Still not been bitten by the Davis bug but it can happen. I'm gonna go for Sketches of Spain and one of the 2nd great 5-tet recordings and then pause for breath.
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