Miles Davis: the greatest prog artist of all-time?

Not a prog artist and not as great as Keith Emerson!

Influential?  Check.  

Definitely not indeed !
Nevertheless being a prog fan does not prevent you (me, us) from appreciating all or part of the his huge work (because that’s what it comes back to) by Miles Davis!

Really love various Miles Davis albums, a personal fave, and while I support his "electric Miles" period albums in Prog Archives JR/F category, I do not consider him to be "Prog". Recognising this is for fun, I don't know which poll options would come closest. Lots of albums I love, but I don't think he's the genius some do (and he could be very full of himself) and it was those he collaborated that did bring so much as mentioned. I was in youth orchestra as a trumpeter, and while I do not seem as some kind of virtuoso, his style works for the music. Since Keith Emerson was mentioned as greater, who I think does get overrated by some too, to me he would be better compared to Davis collaborator Gil Evans I think, and I do think that Gil Evans is greater than Emerson in music generally.

Miles is great enough that I wouldn't say anyone is clearly greater than him (even though mostly not prog), but I do like that Tim Smith and Mark Hollis are named in this poll. As a compromise I voted for New York City and France. Also he is in fact not as great as ____________, but who is?!

Edited by Lewian - November 25 2024 at 15:57

My top 10 could be something like:

1. Big Fun (1974)
2. Get Up With It (1974)
3. In a Silent Way (1969)
4. Circle in the Round (archival compilation)
5. Sketches of Spain (1960)
6. Bitches Brew (1970)
7. Dark Magus (1977)
8. Agharta and Pangea (1975)
9, Live Evil (1971)
10. Filles de Kilimanjaro (1969)

-----------------

While I would not consider Miles Davis to be Prog, I was happy to see his "electric Miles" period be considered for PA (especially 1969 to 1974). I do support having JR/F in PA, and there is much overlap with Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock, Jazz Fusion (and of course with Canterbury Scene acts like Soft Machine, various Krautrock etc.) Basically I would think that JRF "was made" for some like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever and Weather Report. Embryo is a favourite band of mine in JRF here. I would rather see more progressive music and styles be embraced than less. It's partially thanks to having ones like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock being discussed for PA inclusion and added that I really fell for them. I was especially obsessed with Hancock's Mwandishi trilogy and related albums at one time.

Maybe.  I second Catcher10's opinion.

Logan wrote: My top 10 could be something like: 1. Big Fun (1974) 2. Get Up With It (1974) 3. In a Silent Way (1969) 4. Circle in the Round (archival compilation) 5. Sketches of Spain (1960) 6. Bitches Brew (1970) 7. Dark Magus (1977) 8. Agharta and Pangea (1975) 9, Live Evil (1971) 10. Filles de Kilimanjaro (1969) -----------------

Miles is the only artist I can think of that I need 25 spots (the placings would have been a little different yesterday - and tomorrow)

Big Fun
Bitches Brew
In a Silent Way
Get Up With It
Water Babies
Filles de Kilimanjaro
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
Miles in the Sky
Circle in the Round
Kind of Blue
Workin' With the Miles Davis Quintet
Nefertiti
Round About Midnight
Directions
Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet
Birth of the Cool
Walkin'
Porgy and Bess
Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet
Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet
Sorcerer
Live-Evil
Miles Smiles
ESP
Quiet Nights (including The Time of the Barracudas bonus track)

-and still need room for five more. Honorable mentions:

Sketches of Spain
Milestones
Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore
Dark Magus
A Tribute to Jack Johnson

&

The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions is my favorite box set (6 CD's) in existence.

I may have asked this in another thread, but what is his most "prog" album? Not talking about "progressive Jazz/Fusion", but "Prog" 

proto-baldrick wrote: I'm new to this discussion, but sorry-- is this not just about race? Why for instance is Soft Machine (and many other Canterbury bands) unquestionably prog but Miles not? I would definitely acknowledge Miles' as a seminal influence on a large portion of prog, not only Canterbury, but avant jazz-rock (a la Zappa), Krautrock, etc. I think it's a bit dubious to try and make borders here. As for the "most prog" albums by Miles-- definitely a judgement call, but I would go with the pre-retirement work-- Agharta, Pangaea, maybe Get Up with It. Though some of the 80s stuff (e.g. Star People) is pretty radical.

Miles Davis is a figure in jazz history, and his contribution to the development of jazz-fusion in the late 1960s was immense. His album In a Silent Way is a seminal work fusing jazz with psychedelia from the era, using electric instruments and experimental sounds. However, Miles' take on jazz-fusion retains an emphasis on improvisation—along with other jazz musicians of the era like Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, etc., who were playing with him—but within the framework of jazz. His work often focuses on mood and atmosphere rather than the complex arrangements and tighter structures typical of prog. Miles always stays in jazz. On the other side of the Atlantic, British jazz-rock is a type of prog because it expresses much emphasized artistic expression, is more experimental in terms of rock music than improvisational in nature of jazz, is often surrealistic, and is complex in terms of the then-underground scene, i.e., the progressive rock movement of the late 60s that often drew on classical and avant-garde influences and, among other subgenres, also brought the jazzy "Canterbury sound" from the larger umbrella of the prog genre; the odd time signatures, structured composition, often dreamy, pastoral, and melancholic atmospheres, and specific vocals seal it within the broader realm of prog and differentiate it from jazz.