Miles Davis

tmartin2 -- Sat, 02/11/2006 - 14:27

Any suggestions for great early Miles discs?

nunh -- Sat, 02/11/2006 - 16:23

Not for sound quality but, check out First Miles. Miles Davis Vol. 1 has early examples, and of course you have to get Birth of Cool. For sound quality. I like Walkin. Here is a nice place to check out: www.jazzdisco.org/miles/

wgarcia -- Wed, 02/22/2006 - 15:05

How early is early? I would check out Classic Records reissues of Birth of the Cool, Kind of Blue, and Sketches of Spain. Also, Milestones and Round About Midnight are available as decent sounding regulare CDs.

Tom Martin -- Wed, 02/22/2006 - 15:37

Early to me means before the electro fusion phase. Pre '66?

Thanks.

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wgarcia -- Thu, 03/02/2006 - 18:35

In that case, there are many must-haves: Besides those already mentioned...Porgy & Bess, Someday My Prince Will Come, and Seven Steps to Heaven. I'm not as big a fan of the Walkin', Cookin', Relaxin' etc. records as some are, but those are considered classics as well.

Musicfirst (not verified) -- Thu, 01/28/2010 - 15:40

KOB is definitely at the summit in terms of Miles' career, and the current Sony classic remastered series is the best digital version available, and I have six different ones, the original digital release, the Sony Mastersound, a Japanese SBM, the Sony SACD  and one additional Japanese pressing.
The good news is that the can often be found for les than $10 !! A bargain at thrice the price.
The interesting thing for me is that Kind of Blue was one of the first few jazz titles I ever owned, and now, with more than 20 years, a thousand more jazz albums and dozens of live jazz performances under (my now considerable) belt, my appreciation for this album only continues to grow.
The original release version of Flamenco Sketches, which is the second to last cut on the , is my favorite jazz piece of all time. I connect to it emotionally and the first cut I play when auditioning equipment. If the system can't communicate the essence of this cut to me, I go no further.  With a first rate digital system, the analog tape hiss dissociates from the performance, and an intimate and truly holographic performace ensues..... Who needs 5.1
As for the rest of the recording, the performances are at the same time unique yet cohesive to the overall theme.
50 years later, the recording has yet to be eclipsed, and in many ways it never will.
It is truly one of jazz's 'brilliant corners' and in my book, it shines above all.

JA FANT -- Fri, 01/07/2011 - 18:59

Birth of the Cool
Round about Midnight