Miles Davis - Miles Ahead (1957)

All tracks recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, NYC

1-Springsville [c]

2-The Maids Of Cadiz [a]

3-The Duke [a]

4-My Ship [b]

5-Miles Ahead [b]

6-Blues For Pablo [c]

7-New Rhumba [c]

8-The Meaning Of The Blues [d]

9-Lament [d]

10-I Don’t Wanna Be Kissed ( By Anyone But You) [d]

11-Springsville* [c]

12-Blues For Pablo* [c]

13-Medley: The Meaning Of The Blues/Lament* [d]

14-I Don’t Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)* [d]

Original issue: Columbia LP CL 1041 on October 21, 1957

Producer: George Avakian, assisted by Cal Lampley

Engineer: Harold Chapman

Recording Dates:

May 6, 1957 (a)

Miles Davis (flh); Ernie Royal (tpt); Bernie Glow (tpt); Louis Mucci (tpt); Taft Jordan (tpt); Johnny Carisi (tpt); Frank Rehak (tb); Jimmy Cleveland (tb); Joe Bennett (tb); Tom Mitchell (tb); Willie Ruff (frh); Tony Miranda (frh); Bill Barber (tuba); Romeo Penque (fl, cl, bcl, oboe); Sid Cooper (fl, cl); Lee Konitz (as); Danny Bank (bcl); Paul Chambers (b); Arthur Taylor (d); Gil Evans (arr, cond)

May 10, 1957 (b)

Same personnel as May 6

May 23, 1957 (c)

Same personnel as May 6, except Jimmy Buffington (frh) replaces Tony Miranda

May 27, 1957 (d)

Same personnel as May 6, except Eddie Caine (cl, fl) replaces Sid Cooper; add Wynton Kelly (p)

August 22, 1957

Miles Davis, only; overdub session.

All tracks recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, NYC

The Players:

Miles Davis - Flugelhorn

Gil Evans - Arranger, Conductor

Johnny Carisi - Trumpet

Bernie Glow - Trumpet

Taft Jordan - Trumpet

Louis Mucci - Trumpet

Ernie Royal - Trumpet

Lee Konitz - Alto Saxophone

Joe Bennett - Trombone

Jimmy Cleveland - Trombone

Frank Rehak - Trombone

Tom Mitchell - Bass Trombone

Edwin Caine - Flute, Clarinet

Sid Cooper - Flute, Clarinet

Romeo Penque - Flute, Clarinet

Danny Bank - Bass Clarinet

Jim Buffington - French Horn

Tony Miranda - French Horn

Willie Ruff - French Horn

Bill Barber - Tuba

Paul Chambers - Bass

Art Taylor - Drums

Despite countless hours enjoying and studying the many stages of the storied career of Miles Davis - from The Birth Of The Cool through his first and second great quintets, back to the Blackhawk recordings with Hank Mobley, then on to his groundbreaking Silent Way/Bitches Brew/Jack Johnson/On The Corner period and even a stage where I soaked up the freaky electric sound circuses of albums like Big Fun, Miles Davis In Concert, Agharta and Pangaea - there has always been one period of Davis' that has alluded me, and that is his time spent with Gil Evans in the late 1950s. The concept of an orchestra alongside Miles never did it for me in my younger days, but as I grow older I have come to appreciate this period more than I used to. I haven't yet fully embraced it, but I do find myself understanding the impetus behind the partnership, and when I chanced upon an original pressing of Miles Ahead I jumped at the opportunity to explore it even further.

I'll get my basic problem with the Miles Davis/Gil Evans albums out front right away: it doesn't feel like jazz to me. Yes, Sketches Of Spain is a beautiful album, and both Porgy & Bess and Miles Ahead show off what the academics have termed as the "Third Stream" movement - a successful synthesis between classical music and jazz - but, the end results of these albums don't feel like "modern jazz" to my ears, that inventive and spontaneous conversation between improvising musicians that marks the best of jazz music from it's golden age.

All that said, Miles Ahead is a good listen - especially for fans of Davis - it just isn't the first album I'm bound to reach for when I'm ready for a little bit of The Dark Prince in my life. The album is undoubtedly a success, as we do have the outsized talents of Davis and Evans (who worked together earlier on the legendary The Birth Of The Cool sessions) at a time when both were realizing the heights their talents could take them. Miles sounds fantastic on the flugelhorn, which is not surprising since he was coming off of the creative outburst marked by his time at Prestige with his first great quintet (the albums Workin', Steamin', Relaxin' and Cookin'). Miles is the only "soloist" on Miles Ahead, and while there are no real overpowering or memorable moments, when he does step up to the mic he rides the melodies laid down by the orchestra perfectly. He is still very much in his lyrical "cool" mood, with his flugelhorn dancing and floating through Evan's compositions.