Miles & 'Trane - Kind Of Blue Period (1955-1961)

The Collaboration That Created the Greatest Jazz Album of All Time

Miles debuted on Columbia Records with 'Round About Midnight, which established his classic first quintet and defined hard bop. As a result of Miles' exposure John Coltrane began to develop a reputation amongst musicians as a major voice. Milestones was Davis' first use of modes and joined by Cannonball Adderly the band became a powerful sextet. The '58 Sessions introduced Bill Evans to the world of Miles Davis and Evans' influence was apparent from these initial sessions.

Miles' attitude became more focused and romantic and resulted in the Kind Of Blue recording, which many consider to be one of Jazz Music's great recordings. Someday My Prince Will Come brought Miles into a funkier setting with Hank Mobley and Wynton Kelly joining Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Coltrane was brought in to record two songs on this session.

Miles & Gil - Sketches Of Spain Period (1957-1968)

Like Minds - The Genius of Miles Davis & Gil Evans

These albums are the definitive examples of how Miles Davis' voice was the catalyst for Gil Evans' lush and simpatico orchestrations. Miles Ahead was the first major production that Columbia undertook on behalf of Miles and the music is powerful and exciting. Porgy And Bess furthered the collaborative efforts of Davis and Evans with this glorious recording. On Porgy And Bess Miles was given the background by Gil Evans that allowed him to be the "singer of songs" that Gil wanted him to be. Sketches Of Spain (based on Rodrigo's "Concerto De Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra") was the most successful blending of jazz and classical music and created for Miles a sound that he developed further in his career. Quiet Nights was an attempt to define the Brazilian sound that was becoming fashionable during the early Sixties. The album has some fine moments, but failed to live up to the other three.

The Second Great Quintet Period (1965-1968)

Miles & His Disciples - Daring, Ferocious, Mysterious

When Miles assembled Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams he had a band that straddled both the traditions of jazz and the new frontiers that lay ahead. ESP was the first studio recording that captured the interplay and creative potential that the band was to develop. Miles Smiles is one of the best small group jazz albums that Miles made and the music was daring and ferocious. Sorcerer and Nefertiti were mysterious albums that captured the impressionistic side of the Quintet. Both albums were recorded during June and July of 1967 and reflect the band as a work in progress. Miles In The Sky pointed to the changing direction that Miles was seeking as he added the Fender Rhodes Electric Piano to his arsenal of sound as well as the incorporation of funk into the band's rhythmic palate. This group was one of the most influential bands in jazz. The Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel captures the band in performance and the working methods are shown on this box set.

The Electric Period - Rock, Fusion, Funk (1968-1972)

Miles Goes Electric - A Journey That Changed the Jazz World Forever

Once Miles had made a commitment to move his music forward he began a journey that changed the jazz world forever. Starting in 1968, he began using electric keyboards exclusively and soon electric bass and electric guitar, percussion and bass clarinet began to come into the Miles' uncanny sense of musical color.

Water Babies was a collection of sessions that was released in 1976 - eight years after its recording - and it sounded just as fresh. Filles De Kilimanjaro was a ground breaking album that defined Miles' move into the world of Rock and Roll. In A Silent Way was an influential recording in that it showed that the Rock influence in Miles' music still had a pretty side.

However, Bitches Brew was Miles' breakthrough album, selling over 400,000 copies in the first year of it's release. Every major fusion star from the Seventies appeared on this recording and Miles became successful as well as controversial. This album is considered by critics as the great divide between jazz tradition and jazz mutation.

A Tribute To Jack Johnson was Miles' only totally rock influenced album and was used as a soundtrack to a documentary of the famous boxer. Live-Evil was a mix of studio experimentation and a live concert from Washington, DC. Black Beauty and Live At Fillmore captured Miles' band at it's creative peak and intensity as Miles pushed the limits of jazz and rock. On The Corner was Miles' attempt to reach the young black audience that had eluded him. This also became a very controversial record at the time, but has been defined today as avant-garde with the use of overdubbing, looping and intense dance rhythms. In Concert, Dark Magus, Pangaea, and Agharta were recorded live and represented Miles' band at it's most abstract and atmospheric, with the use of three guitars and long vamps. Get Up With It was Miles' last studio album to be released before he retired from active playing in 1976, and contains a beautiful, haunting tribute to Duke Ellington.

The Man With A Horn & Beyond - The Later Works

Miles On The Comeback

When Davis returned to an active musical life in 1980, he had a new band and a sound that was contemporary but not so abstract. The Man With A Horn was his debut recording from this period and brought Miles back into the limelight. We Want Miles captured his new touring band live in concert and brought more young fans into Miles' world as a result of his touring. Decoy and You're Under Arrest are studio albums that showed Miles was still listening to contemporary black music and making it very personal. Aura was Miles' last great recording, using an orchestra and performing a suite written specially for him. Unlike his other recordings from the Eighties, Aura is a mostly acoustic album that brought back memories of an earlier Miles to the ears of his fans.