MILES DAVIS

The great 60's quintet released their second brilliant album. On the surface, it's still an acoustic jazz rooted in post- bop but each member steps out of their comfort zone to create a then futuristic jazz album. "Orbits" has a conventional rhythm section with Miles and Shorter providing capturing solos but it is Hancock who blows me away by his choice of solo notes. "Circle" is a slow but I feel a positive tension in the music in the chord structure. "Footprints" is one of this quintet flagship pieces with its free flow and Afro-fusion (sounds to me) rhythmic inspiration. Williams is doing a great job with many inspiring alterations and Shorter shows why he was the most important composer of the quintet. "Dolores" is a jazz-attack upbeat number. Hancock and Williams, in particular shine through. "Freedom jazz dance" has an inventive foot jazz drumming (busy too) with Miles providing lyrical solo and dueling with Shorter. If you considered the music content to be too non-conventional, then you return to the traditional post-bop structure on the last track, "Gingerbread boy". Excellent album by excellent musicians and players. Intelligent and label-defying piece of jazz.

To be sure, this has to be one of the most talented lineups ever in jazz history--and despite Miles' collaborators being in their young 20s and most definitely showing signs of some immaturity, the greatest innovation occurring here is with Tony Williams' drumming.

1. "Nefertiti" (7:52) a rather dull and slightly melodic lead song with Miles and Wayne up front has some rather adventurous performances from Herbie Hancock and, especially, the dynamic Tony Williams. (13.25/15)

2. "Fall" (6:39) another pleasant, melodic song in which the musicians are operating more nearly on the same wavelength--until fourth minute, that is, when Tony begins to go off into his own world, rhythmically, beneath Herbie's piano solo, but then he backs off and gets very quiet during Wayne's following solo and what follows. Interesting! (8.875/10)

3. "Hand Jive" (8:54) a much more dynamic song construct with Ron Carter walking all over his upright double bass while Tony Williams flies around his cymbals and toms. There is an odd, subtle shift in tempo in the third minute that I do not think is intentional but obviously not considered significant enough to correct or redo--and Ron Carter is not always "in the pocket" (at least not according to these amateur ears), but the song certainly displays the skills of all of the band members, with a considerable amount of time given to Wayne Shorter's solo in the middle. When Herbie is next given his turn, he seems a bit lost at first, but, after he gets warmed up, he starts to move better. Maybe everybody's just a little overwhelmed or intimidated by Tony's creativity (and Ron's hot-and-cold conformity to the "pocket"). (17.5/20)

4. "Madness "(7:31) more of the same as the previous song with Ron's fast walking and Tony's cymbal play providing the bulk of support beneath one of Miles' more dynamic and passionate solos on the album. The trio seem quite entrained. Then Wayne is given the nod to take over from Miles. He's not quite as dynamic but very impressive for his softer, breathy notes. When it comes time for Herbie's turn, everybody nearly cuts out, with only Ron and Tony remaining beneath part time, not flying around the fretboard and cymbal like they were. But then they return to their earlier form as Herbie heats up, though not quite as synched as they were with Miles--which may have something to do with Herbie's less smooth, less-melodic approach. And then they all come back together ever-so briefly before bringing the song to a quick close. (13.375/15)

5. "Riot" (3:04) Same cymbal play from Tony while Ron machine guns around the upper registers of his bass and Herbie plays a lot of chords beneath Wayne's initial lead. Then Miles is there, too. It's nice to hear the whole band working together (and Tony does get a little more active as the song develops). (8.875/10)

6. "Pinocchio" (5:08) a song that feels more like standard or old Miles bebop or hard bop. Opening with the whole rhythm section behind Wayne and Miles, Ron and Tony become more active as the song develops, something that is more noticeable during Wayne's solo (as Miles and Herbie check out). Tony really picks it up here, even when Miles and Wayne return to recapitulate the main melody. Then Herbie gets his solo. It's good, probably the best on the album, but then its over and the band pulls together to close. Very tight, "standard" jazz tune. (8.875/10)

Total Time 39:08

I think this album is most significant for confirming how much of a force drummer Tony Williams is (and is going to be). As impressive as Tony is (and Miles and Wayne, as well), I think Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter are showing how much growth they have yet to achieve--especially to be able to achieve the moment they are called upon.

B/four stars; an excellent album for prog rockers to gain insight into the genius of some of Jazz-Rock Fusion founders and all-stars--especially the phenom that was drummer Tony Williams.

The early discography of MILES DAVIS and jazz artists in general has always been and remains a complete mess! It seems the record industry didn't really grasp the proper methodologies of organizing releases until the late 1950s when it seems some kind of standard emerged and everything became easier to track. But before 1956 or so it was the wild west. Take this release by THE MILES DAVIS QUARTET for example. No database can seem to agree when exactly it was released and that comes from the fact that what is now known as BLUE HAZE was originally released as a 10" LP simple titled THE MILES DAVID QUARTET in 1954 and then re-released as BLUE HAZE in 1956. The official DAVIS website also considers it released in 1954 despite the name change.

Some sources call this a compilation while others cite it as a legit album although the tracks were certainly recorded from May 1953 - April 1954. Whatever the case the album covers the early years of MILES DAVIS' legendary career when he was cranking out the typical bop of the era with varying musicians joining in on every track. The lineups of any MILES DAVIS album were legendary and these earliest releases are no exception. This amazing display of mid-50s bop featured some of the biggest names of jazz yet to come with Horace Silver, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey and Max Roach joining in on various tracks along with pianist John Lewis, alto saxist Davey Schildkraut and drummer Kenny Clarke also joining in. Bassist Percy Heath is the only musician to sit in on every track on BLUE HAZE.

Despite the tracks featuring different lineups, all of these cool cats were seasoned pros even at this early stage of their retrospective careers and although the music itself is fairly standard for the era, these guys pretty much animated it like very few could and it has always utterly amazed me how brilliant MILES DAVIS really was even from the very beginning. All one has to do is compare a forgotten jazz musician from the same era and the difference in talent is staggering. The album created a bit of controversy in later years with DAVIS claiming credit for the two compositions "Four" and "Tune Up" however jump blues singer and saxophonist Eddie Vinson claimed that the tunes were indeed his and he did not give DAVIS permission to record them. The dispute was ultimately solved by giving equal credit.

This stage of DAVIS' career showcases the time when he began to emerge as the creative tour de force that would quickly dominate the world of jazz in the late 50s and not let up well into the 1970s. Weening himself off of the Dizzy Gillespie mentored influences that propelled him into the limelight, DAVIS blossomed as a composer with several originally crafted tracks including "Smooch," "Miles Ahead" and the title track. Even at this stage DAVIS was dreaming up the world of cool jazz with a more relaxed take on the oft frenetic approach many hard boppers took. Heath's bass lines are particular laid back and the overall vibe of this collection of tracks is fairly mellow which belies the amazing monstrous performances of some of the members' future recordings.

As far as i'm concerned, every DAVIS album is essential but for those only into the absolute classics or the jazz-fusion era then this one is obviously of less importance as it is a fairly standard affair of the day even if DAVIS was beginning to strut an original streak that would only keep its momentum until his creative prowess reached full potential on albums like 1957's "Round About Midnight" and "Cookin'." This is the type of jazz that makes great dinner music or when you really aren't in the mood for something that's overly complex and bombastic. A brilliantly played album with less than brilliantly composed compositions but what a pleasant stroll down cool bop alley this is. While not his creative peak, it's always fun to dive back into DAVIS's earliest recordings to experience that early innocence before he was the king of this craft.

3.5 rounded down

This here is one of the greatest Jazz albums ever made, and it should also be up there along with Kind Of Blue. This is really incredible with the amazing lineup of John Coltrane & Cannonball Adderly really pair well together as being to absolutely phenomenal virtuosos & they are both all over the place. With Miles being in the centre of the band and really controlling the music and intense Jazz improvisation it shows the brilliance of Davis using those musicians to create new forms of music, & he can do this because of confusing those musicians and then throwing them into those situations they do new and exciting things which happens on this masterpiece here.

I struggled with this one. For the longest time, I didn't feel equipped to say anything about this album. My life has been all about rock and pop. I only started to listen to Jazz close to my 30s and then only sparingly.

But I decided I could say something about this album. How I feel about it and how I experience it. It boggles my mind that Miles and his band played this as an improvisation from start to end. It makes it only more special to know how unprepared Miles Davis was. Here they are. Pushing the boundaries of music off the cuff.

I only came across this album 50 years later, through Progarchives. For weeks, it is the only record I play and I discover something new every time. From the beginning right until the frantic end.

Review #151!

Yeah, it's cheap, yeah, it's corny, yeah it's 80's as all hell, but there's some absurd charm about this record that is keeping me from giving this record two stars. The 80's production I can barely see myself through, but once I can garner the courage to continue listening, I see the same Miles that made Bitches Brew and IASW, and I'm in. The title track is most likely my favorite on the album. It's essentially one big trumpet improvisation over fake bass and gaded reverb drums. Robot 415 is too short to say anything about but has its fair share of complexity for being only a minute long. Code M.D is beyond saving though. I often find myself going on my computer when this song is playing, because I just can't stand the synth drums. 'Freaky Deaky' is maybe the most organic song on the album, calling back to albums like Big Fun and Get Up With It. It is ethereal and takes its time, which I respect. 'What It Is' is another doozy. The musicianship is great, but it's just too artificial. Sorry, Miles. 'That's Right' is another bummer with the same issue as the song that preceded it. Sad, because usually, an eleven-minute jazz track is great. 'That's What Happened' I love, and for no reason. It's extremely fake and way too fast, but I like it. This album is not too much of a decoy. It has its fair share of real Miles Davis charm, but overall, not something that anyone needs to hear if they're not interested. Keep funking!

Review #99!

Miles Davis's 'In A Silent Way' is a beautiful little jazz album with something for all prog lovers to enjoy. It paved the way for Jazz Fusion artists and albums to come, like Frank Zappa and 'Hot Rats', Herbie Hancock (who played piano on this LP) and 'Mwandishi', and even future Miles Davis, like with the following 'Bitches Brew'. The album starts with 'Shhh/Peaceful', a sidelong, multi-part jazz freakout. There are many amazing parts in this song. Stellar percussion and horns. The opening melody repeats at some point, reestablishing the song's mood. 'In A Silent Way/It's About That Time' opens beautifully, with soft electric guitar and chiming percussion. The saxophone takes over the stage, continuing this enchanting melody. Then, out of nowhere, the song explodes into a short-lived funky saxophone solo. The percussion builds for a long time, creating anticipation in the listener. Then a guitar comes on and so forth and so forth. What an album! Every piece so powerful, every solo so meaningful! Miles would have still had an amazing discography even if he just stopped here. Prog on.

A splendid album with astonishing fierce numbers but also some lighter piano-led parts. The music is dominated by the saxophones and the trumpet. It's interesting to hear Evans live in this setting and his contrast introspective playing compared to the "black" maestros. I like Miles' playing in particular, a lot of expression and dexterity. Pity that the concert is so short. Recommended to all who like the cool and bop Miles period. At this point of time, don't expect any innovative elements here. Until recently, Jimmy Cobb was the only surviving members of this line-up. For proggers and fusioners , the 60's Miles output may be more admirable.

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

Yeah uhm, I mean there's no way you can't give this five stars. One of the most influential and *essential* jazz albums of all time. It is a cornerstone of the multiple genres it encapsulates. Miles Davis, being a master both in technique and composition, had already made multiple master works and would later make many others, but for sure none as iconic as Kind Of Blue.

If you're into jazz this record shouldn't be hard to get into at all. If you're not into jazz, then I highly recommend you to check this album with an open mind. Track structure can sometimes (to mean mostly) be very abstract and inaccessible.

One of the couple of 1956 excellent albums with the first classic quintet including Coltrane, this is, just like the other four collections, very impressive collection first and foremost due to playing, in absence of any original material.

Brass instruments lead the pack with excellent melodies and soloing, piano is more subdued and atmospheric. Davis excells at lyrical playing such as in "Something I dreamed last night" and "When I fall in love" but equally love highly energetic pieces including old standard "Salt peanuts" with all players getting loose but mainly the drummer hitting everywhere in his solo. This is a balanced album that will mainly attract jazz fans and less likely prog fans.