10 favorite Miles Davis Recordings

crawjo · January-20th-2004, 03:55 PM

Still bored...What can I say, it's been a slow day.

Anyway, I thought I would share what are, at the moment, my ten favorite Miles Davis albums. To make it simple, I'm only going to consider studio albums, and not live material.

1. Miles Smiles -- If I had only one Davis album to take with me to the proverbial desert island (that also somehow included an outlet for a stereo or cd player, or enough batteries to last a long, long time), this would be it. To my ears, "Circle" is the most beautiful Davis piece in the canon, and I like the version of Footprints more than the others that have been recorded. I think this album is great because it's a bridge from Miles's earlier period, while also containing hints of what is to come (Freedom Jazz Dance).

2. In a Silent Way -- My 3 month old daughter's love for this album has made me appreciate it even more. The textures and mood of the music are just perfect. I don't think there's a wrong note on the entire disc.

3. Jack Johnson -- Davis's playing is incredibly powerful here. I think his work on trumpet on this album might be his best stuff.

4. Cookin' -- My favorite of the rush-job Prestige albums. I especially like the way the rhythm section really gets moving on "Blues by Five."

5. Porgy & Bess -- The best of the Davis-Evans collaborations. Summertime, Gone, Gone, Gone, Prayer. The first time I listened to this album I was impressed. The second time I was blown away.

6. Kind of Blue -- I don't think this is the end-all and be-all of jazz masterpiece that some claim, but still, it is an incredible musical statement.

7. Bitches Brew -- Just listened to this again in the car this afternoon. I love the energy behind the music, the inventiveness of it.

8. Someday My Prince Will Come -- I think the Penguin Guide underrates this one a little bit. I would definitely have given it four stars, just for Coltrane's solo on the title track, if nothing else.

9. Filles de Killemanjaro -- Another underrated album, in my opinion. I didn't realize how good this was until I bought the "Complete In a Silent Way Sessions" and that opened my ears.

10. Lift to the Scaffold -- It was either this or Milestones. The mood on this set is incredibly beautiful.

Pete C · January-20th-2004, 04:23 PM

I would definitely include one of the 1967 European bootlegs in my top 10. Either No Blues (Paris) or "His Greatest Concert Ever (Antwerp).

Sergio Zamora · January-20th-2004, 06:57 PM

Sergio Zamora · January-20th-2004, 07:00 PM

stonemonkts · January-20th-2004, 07:37 PM

Here's my list:

1. Miles Smiles
2. E.S.P.
3. Kind Of Blue
4. Milestones
5. Walkin'
6. Workin'
7. Miles Ahead
8. In A Silent Way
9. Steamin'
10. Jack Johnson (I think Miles' extended solo on this recording is the best of his career; definitely my favorite, at least).

If I coulld lump the 4 Prestige sessions as one choice, then I'd add Round About Midnight, Bitches Brew, and Sorcerer.

crawjo · January-20th-2004, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stonemonkts
Here's my list:

1. Miles Smiles
2. E.S.P.
3. Kind Of Blue
4. Milestones
5. Walkin'
6. Workin'
7. Miles Ahead
8. In A Silent Way
9. Steamin'
10. Jack Johnson (I think Miles' extended solo on this recording is the best of his career; definitely my favorite, at least).

If I coulld lump the 4 Prestige sessions as one choice, then I'd add Round About Midnight, Bitches Brew, and Sorcerer.

I like Sorcerer too...but what is up with that last track, "Nothing Like You?" That is some seriously awful singing.

walto · January-20th-2004, 08:56 PM

My list would have to include "Live at the Fillmore East" and "Black Beauty" along with Laz's picks. "Miles Smiles" too.

stonemonkts · January-20th-2004, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crawjo
I like Sorcerer too...but what is up with that last track, "Nothing Like You?" That is some seriously awful singing.

I feel blessed. I own "Sorcerer" as part of the Complete Mid 60's Quintet box which adheres to only studio music with the band, sans guest vocalists, et al. I've never heard the offensive vocal track!

crawjo · January-20th-2004, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stonemonkts
I feel blessed. I own "Sorcerer" as part of the Complete Mid 60's Quintet box which adheres to only studio music with the band, sans guest vocalists, et al. I've never heard the offensive vocal track!

Consider yourself lucky. I'd say it is the worst single track on any jazz cd that I own. I don't have the world's largest collection, but I have my fair share. It's bad. Fortunately, it's only 2 minutes long. But still...

Pete C · January-21st-2004, 12:37 AM

Are you kidding? Bob Dorough is great. I love "Nothing Like You."

jazzfiend · January-21st-2004, 01:07 AM

Yeah Crawjo, take the 'ol cotton outa yo ears. Dorough is fabulous!

crawjo · January-21st-2004, 01:37 AM

No, he's not. He's just awful. You guys are crazy.

Gary Sisco · January-21st-2004, 08:39 AM

All of them, 40s through the 70s.

gnhrtg · January-21st-2004, 08:49 AM

I'd definitely include "Bags Groove" but can't make up my mind as to what to exclude to get the list down to 10.

Brian Olewnick · January-21st-2004, 09:02 AM

Of those I own, a piddling sample, I'd say:

Miles Smiles
Black Beauty
Bitches Brew
Kind of Blue
Live at the Fillmore East
Cookin' at the Plugged Nickel
E.S.P.
Pangaea
Agharta
Porgy and Bess

Nick · January-22nd-2004, 12:19 AM

If you ask me tomorrow I'll probably have a different 10, but right now

10. Nefertiti
9. In A Silent Way
8. Workin'
7. Jack Johnson
6. Miles Ahead
5. Star People
4. Miles In the Sky
3. Kind of Blue
2. Sketches of Spain
1. All of the official and bootleg live recordings from 1967-75. It doen't get any better than live Miles. I love everything from the early Prestige stuff to Amandla though.

lazarus · January-22nd-2004, 12:51 AM

In no particular order

Kind Of Blue
Four & More
Miles Smiles
Bitches Brew
Jack Johnson
On The Corner
Black Beauty
Dark Magus
Pangaea
Agharta

I love all his albums up to "We Want Miles" (with the exception of "In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall" from 1972). After that it was not so very good but some of it is ok with me.

john williams · January-22nd-2004, 11:24 PM

1. Miles Smiles has to be on top of my list too.
2. Nefertiti
3. Milestones
4. My Funny Valerntine/Four & More
5. E.S.P.
6. Miles Ahead
7. Kind of Blue
8. Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud
9. Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About That Time
10. A Tribute to Jack Johnson

Chris D · January-23rd-2004, 01:06 PM

Considering I have more than 30 and play them all, this is a tough exercise. But just basing my answer on how frequently I play the albums:

1. In a Silent Way
2. Kind of Blue
3. Miles Smiles
4. ESP
5. Walkin'
6. Cookin'
7. Milestones
8. Bitches Brew
9. Filles de Killimanjaro
10. Birth of the Cool

I like the Gil Evans projects but don't play them nearly as much as these, or Relaxin, Bags' Groove, etc.

frankiepop · January-24th-2004, 12:01 AM

'live at the plugged nickel' as one of my top 10 miles, probably my #1 miles listen this last yr.

'carnegie hall' with gil evans is also within my top 10 list, while 'carnegie hall' is certainly not one of his better outings, i would suggest that miles' played in top form here.

LeMo · January-24th-2004, 07:25 AM

Could change, depend of the mood. But the five first stay more or less in the same order.
I could add "A Tribute to Jack Johnson", "Walking", "On The Corner", "Bitches Brew", "My Funny Valentine", "Four and More", "Get Up With It" and the controversial "Panthalassa: The Music Of Miles Davis" that I like a lot.

- The Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel
- Miles Smiles
- Kind Of Blue
- Cookin'
- In A Silent Way
- Miles In Tokyo
- ESP
- Sorcerer
- Live Evil
- Pangaea

Enforcer · January-26th-2004, 11:35 AM

You guys do know that it's the same Bob Dorough who sang the Schoolhouse Rock stuff some of us used to watch on cartoon Saturday mornings as kids, right?

Larry

Pete C · January-26th-2004, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Larry Nagel
You guys do know that it's the same Bob Dorough who sang the Schoolhouse Rock stuff some of us used to watch on cartoon Saturday mornings as kids, right?

Larry

I certainly do. I love the guy, and I just ran into him at IAJE this weekend. Some years ago I tried to get him to do some of my lyrics for Monk & Bud Powell tunes. He didn't bite, though he claimed he dug them.

A friend I brought to one of his shows some years ago claimed he sounded like Carol Channing.

Enforcer · January-26th-2004, 01:17 PM

Pete,

I always thought Miles was f**king with people when he dropped that tune on Sorcerer. It was from a completely different time and place, with a completely different band. Maybe he thought things were getting too predictable with his 2nd 5tet by that time and wanted to remind people they didn't know sh** about him or what he was going to do next, in case they thought they did.

Either way, I liked the tune.

Larry

January-27th-2004, 01:31 AM

Quote:

'live at the plugged nickel' as one of my top 10 miles, probably my #1 miles listen this last yr. - fpop

I was begining to wonder if this title was going to show up in here.

I have to agree with Frankie, this entire box is an absolute gem.

I guess I'll be the Jazz dweeb here and admit that Kind Of Blue is still my favorite Miles, and possibly my favorite Jazz album. Period.

And I still, to this very day, do NOT get Bitches Brew at all. But almost everything he did before that was classic and noteworthy.

stonemonkts · January-27th-2004, 09:46 AM

I would have included Plugged Nickel in my list but I was following Crawjo's studio-only tack.

Scott, do you "get" Jack Johnson? I'm curious since I see Bitches Brew as a sort of culmination of what he was doing in Jack Johnson.

Pete C · January-27th-2004, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stonemonkts
I see Bitches Brew as a sort of culmination of what he was doing in Jack Johnson.

If so it was a prescient culmination.

stonemonkts · January-27th-2004, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pete C
If so it was a prescient culmination.

Oops, my mistake.

Scott, nevermind.

January-27th-2004, 11:52 AM

It's cool, Stone, we all do a little time traveling every now and then. But to answer your question anyway, no, I do not "get" Jack Johnson either.

I guess for me, there is just a little too much going on, too many people trying to say too many things. Plus, I really have never been able to come to grips with electronic instruments in Jazz. They just grate on me for some reason.

Tanager · January-27th-2004, 01:34 PM

I'm tempted to agree with Gary and say, "all of them," but that's not really true, b/c I definitely have preferences. Although limiting the list to ten may well prove a futile exercise, here's a stab in no particular order:

Birth of the Cool
KOB
Miles Smiles
It's About That Time
Bitches Brew
IASW
Filles de Kilimanjaro
And the Modern Jazz Giants
Porgy and Bess
Complete Live at the Blackhawk