Miles Davis: Miles in Berlin (2005)

Recorded in mono, on September 25th, 1964, Miles's Quintet graces the stage of the Berlin Philharmonie, only a year after its opening. The previous CD incarnation of this date was virtually unlistenable, so the 2005 remaster is a revelation - the glare and fuzz is gone, and (despite the mono) each instrument is discretely defined and palpable; there is a minimum of background hiss - the sound is great, as it is on all the recent Sony/Columbia Miles remasters, and allows the performance to shine through - there is no question that if you own the late 80's/early 90's CDs you should acquire these new versions, not least for their generous extra tracks - here it's thirteen minutes of the unreleased "Stella by Starlight". ”

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass instrument); Tony Williams (drums).

Tracklist:
01. Milestones
02. Autumn Leaves
03. So What
04. Stella by Starlight (bonus track)
05. Walkin'
06. Go-Go (Theme and Announcement)
Miles in Berlin
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Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Best Of (1997)

Despite the daunting prospect of editing the six-CD collection of the complete 1957-63 studio works of Davis and Evans into a one-hour sampler, the compilers chose wisely. Nine of the 12 selections are familiar master takes of classic Davis-Evans works. Five are from the duo's biggest popular success, 1958's PORGY AND BESS, three are orchestral tracks from 1957's MILES AHEAD and the stunning 16-minute interpretation of the Adagio movement of Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" from 1960's SKETCHES OF SPAIN sparkles like a jewel.
These well-known pieces sound brand new, thanks to a brilliant remastering job. The last three cuts whet the appetites of those intrigued by the box set's hours of outtakes and rarities: alternate takes of "Wait Till You See Her" and "Corcovado" from 1962's QUIET NIGHTS, as well as an excerpt from Davis and Evans' masterful but rarely-heard score for the 1963 play "The Time of the Barracudas." This is essential music.
All tracks on this album come from the six-CD MILES DAVIS & GIL EVANS: THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS box set on Columbia (67397).
Recorded at 30th Street Studio, New York, New York and Columbia Stuios, Hollywood, California between May 1957 and October 1963. Includes liner notes by Bill Kirchner.

Tracklist:

1 My Ship 4:28
Drums - Art Taylor
Piano - Wynton Kelly
Saxophone [Alto] - Lee Konitz
2 Miles Ahead 3:30
Drums - Art Taylor
3 Blues For Pablo 5:19
Drums - Art Taylor
4 Gone 3:37
Drums - "Philly" Joe Jones
5 My Man's Gone Now 6:15
Drums - "Philly" Joe Jones
6 I t Ain't Necessarily So 4:24
7 Summertime 3:18
8 I Loves You, Porgy 3:40
9 Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio) 16:19
Producer - Irving Townsend
10 Wait Till You See Her 4:02
11 ?Corcovado 2:42
12 The Time Of The Carracudas (Excerpt) 3:06
Bass - Ron Carter
Drums - Tony Williams*
Piano - Herbie Hancock
Producer - Irving Townsend

Personnel: Miles Davis (flageolet); Janet Putnam (harp); Jerome Richardson (flute, alto flute, clarinet); Romeo Penque (flute, clarinet, oboe); Eddie Caine, Sid Cooper (flute, clarinet); Raymond Beckenstein (flute, reeds); Harold Feldman (clarinet, oboe); Danny Bank (clarinet); Garvin Bushell (bassoon, contrabassoon); Jack Knitzer, Bob Tricarico (bassoon); Bill Kirchner (saxophone); Lee Konitz, Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Louis Mucci, Ernie Royal, Johnny Carisi, Johnny Coles, Taft Jordan, Bernie Glow (trumpet); Tony Miranda, Gunther Schuller, Julius Watkins, Willie Ruff, James Buffington, Earl Chapin, Ray Alonge (French horn); Dick Hixon, Frank Rehak, Tommy Mitchell , Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Bennett (trombone); Phil Bodner, Billy Barber (tuba); Wynton Kelly (piano); Jimmy Cobb , Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor (drums); Willie Bobo (bongos); Elvin Jones, Jose Mangual (percussion).

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Miles Davis: E.S.P. (1965) [2006 DSD Japan Mini LP Edition]

ESP marks the beginning of a revitalization for Miles Davis, as his second classic quintet — saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams — gels, establishing what would become their signature adventurous hard bop. Miles had been moving toward this direction in the two years preceding the release of ESP and he had recorded with everyone outside of Shorter prior to this record, but his addition galvanizes the group, pushing them toward music that was recognizably bop but as adventurous as jazz's avant-garde....more .

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Tony Williams (drums)

Tracklist:

01. E.S.P.
02. Eighty-One
03. Little One
04. R.J.
05. Agitation (Shorter)
07. Mood
Esp (Reis)
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Miles Davis: Miles in Tokyo (1964)

Miles Davis's most successful groups--his first great quintet with John Coltrane, for example, and his mid-1960s outfit with saxophonist Wayne Shorter--are well known, but the ensembles in-between are also notable. On this 1964 concert, recorded in Tokyo, Japan, Miles was already working with the rhythm section he would maintain until 1970--drummer Tony Williams, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Herbie Hancock. The saxophonist, remarkably enough, is subsequent avant-garde legend Sam Rivers.

Rivers is a unique and under-appreciated player not bound by stylistic constraints; he plays with great verve, humor, and invention. Though Rivers seems a bit out of place on this set of mostly standards (which includes "My Funny Valentine" and "All of You"), it is interesting to hear how his sound changes the group, pushing it toward more flexible rhythmic and harmonic structures. "So What," for example, grows to skittering near-cacophony, with a series of complex solos. Hancock's blinding right hand and the propulsive rhythms of Carter and Williams also drive Davis to some of the edgiest playing of his career at that point. MILES IN TOKYO is a fascinating document of Davis in transition, but is also worth picking up for the chance to hear Rivers in such unique company.

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Sam Rivers (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Tony Williams (drums)

Tracklist:

1. Introduction by Teruo Isono

2. If I Were a Bell
3. My Funny Valentine
4. So What
5. Walkin'
6. All of You
7. Go-Go (Theme and Announcement)
Miles in Tokyo
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