Miles Davis and Gil Evans, who'd first worked together on the 1949-50 sides that would make up Birth Of The Cool, reunited in 1957 for the first of three major album projects. Miles Ahead was to be an ambitious suite of jazz and classical pieces that were arranged to run together. Right from the upbeat Springsville segueing into Léo Delibes' Maids Of Cadiz, it was an inspired album that expanded the vocabulary of jazz and third stream music, and still sounds fresh and essential.
Miles abandoned the trumpet in favour of flugelhorn for Miles Ahead, an inspired choice that was a natural fit for his playing style. The 20 musicians are masterfully arranged by Evans, and the linking together of each piece makes it hard to pick favourites; they're just all brilliant. Still to come from this legendary collaboration was a setting of Gershwin's Porgy And Bess, and of course the magnificent
Sketches of Spain.
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pw: sgtg
As a much younger lad, I was (and am) a rabid fan of Robert Wyatt's "Alliance" from the Old Rottenhat album, which I heard before I had heard this. When I finally did, that was a pretty great "ooooooh" moment.
ReplyDeleteBob's definitely always had a deep, abiding love of Miles, hasn't he... I remember him telling Mojo magazine that Sketches of Spain was his favourite album ever, think I bought it on that basis soon after.
DeleteThank you for this many other gifts!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this many other gifts!
ReplyDeleteOops
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