The Essential Miles Davis

The Essential Miles Davis

ASIN: B00005JA24

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis was a major catalyst for the evolution of modern music. This two-CD set--with tracks from the Savoy, Capitol, Blue Note, Prestige, Columbia, and Warner Bros. labels from 1945 to 1986--is an excellent sampler of his limitless creative genius. It features a who's who of the greatest names in the music: drummers Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, and Jimmy Cobb; bassists Paul Chambers and Ron Carter; pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock; and alto and tenor saxophonists Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. Davis's middle-register trumpet accommodated a myriad of styles, from the bebop classic "Now's the Time" to the Snow White waltz "Someday My Prince Will Come" to the modal masterpiece "So What" (from Kind of Blue).

Just as Duke Ellington had Billy Strayhorn, Davis had the gifted arranger Gil Evans. Evans created ingenious stringless orchestral soundscapes around Davis's pithy and personal sound on Ahmad Jamal's "New Rhumba" from Miles Ahead, the in-the-pocket swing of Gershwin's "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess, and the Moorish melodies of "The Pan Piper" from Sketches of Spain. Other classic tracks include the sophisticated classicism of "Jeru" from the 1949-50 Birth of the Cool nonets, the spectral and spare "Générique" from the soundtrack to the 1957 French film Ascenseur pour L'Echafaud, and his romantic rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Simply put, Miles lives. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Tracks:

Now's the Time
Jeru
Compulsion
Tempus Fugit
Walkin'
'Round About Midnight
Bye Bye Blackbird
New Rhumba
Generique
Summertime
So What
The Pan Piper
Someday My Prince Will Come

Tracks:

My Funny Valentine
E.S.P.
Nefertiti
Petits Machins
Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
Little Church
Black Satin
Jean Pierre
Time After Time
Portia

Amazon.com

Trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis was a major catalyst for the evolution of modern music. This two-CD set--with tracks from the Savoy, Capitol, Blue Note, Prestige, Columbia, and Warner Bros. labels from 1945 to 1986--is an excellent sampler of his limitless creative genius. It features a who's who of the greatest names in the music: drummers Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, and Jimmy Cobb; bassists Paul Chambers and Ron Carter; pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock; and alto and tenor saxophonists Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. Davis's middle-register trumpet accommodated a myriad of styles, from the bebop classic "Now's the Time" to the Snow White waltz "Someday My Prince Will Come" to the modal masterpiece "So What" (from Kind of Blue).

Just as Duke Ellington had Billy Strayhorn, Davis had the gifted arranger Gil Evans. Evans created ingenious stringless orchestral soundscapes around Davis's pithy and personal sound on Ahmad Jamal's "New Rhumba" from Miles Ahead, the in-the-pocket swing of Gershwin's "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess, and the Moorish melodies of "The Pan Piper" from Sketches of Spain. Other classic tracks include the sophisticated classicism of "Jeru" from the 1949-50 Birth of the Cool nonets, the spectral and spare "Générique" from the soundtrack to the 1957 French film Ascenseur pour L'Echafaud, and his romantic rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Simply put, Miles lives. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

A Satisfiying Intro For Neophytes.......2006-11-15

I first read about Miles in Mojo (the UK music mag). Their article, "How To Buy... Miles Davis" noted that this was a perfect starting point for the curious. I made a note of this. Then, after scanning the net for suggestions for music that resembled early Chicago's jazz-rock, I ran across some tracks from Bitches Brew and Tribute to Jack Johnson. Man, that stuff blew my mind! I wanted to try out Miles' material. Rather than starting out by purachising his late 60s/70s electric work,I decided to begin with this set to get a better sense of the man's career.

Disc 1, in my humble view, is a rather conservative affair. It's jazz, and I can't particlarly fault that. But for someone yearning for electric disorderly conduct, it's like the calm before a storm. Disc 2 begins in the same vein as the first disc, but tracks get progressively jumpier (like "E.S.P."). For me, there real treasure consisted of the structureless romps that Miles toots over in the late 60s and 70s. After that rousing anarchy, its fitting that the set mellows out in a collected 80s manner.

After listening to the set, I concluded that this man had a career that encompassed a broad array of jazz styles. While I may not be able to differntiate hard bop from modal jazz, I can see a gradual shift within his sound. Although I'll end buying On The Corner before Sketches of Spain, at least now I know the breadth that a four decade-long career can encompass.

For neophytes with only a vague idea of Miles and his work, this set is a perfect starting point; you'll get a sample of what each period entails and you'll be able to see which phase best suits your tastes.

quint-essential miles.......2006-11-06

AN EXCELLENT COMPENDIUM OF VINTAGE MILES DAVIS. SHORT OF PURCHASING EVERY ONE OF DAVIS'S RECORDINGS, THIS IS A GREAT CONDENSED PACKAGE FOR MILES AFFICIANADOS AND NEWBIES TO THE WORLD OF CLASSIC JAZZ. THE DOUBLE CD SET SPANS 5 DECADES OF WHAT IS THE GENIUS OF MILES DAVIS.

ANYTIME IS THE TIME FOR MILES DAVIS-NOW IS EVEN BETTER!.......2005-10-20

This collection draws from the ASTONISHING recording career of the great Miles Davis when he was among the best cool jazz trumpet players of them all, performing with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Muligan and Gil Evans, among other great jazz like minded players of the day. His impressionistic colors and harmonies are very much like bandleader Claude Thornhill's sound, yet all his own, a very "cool" jazz sound indeed. The listener will be in for a treat on this CD as it showcases some of the best jazz players of the 50s: Philly Joe Jones (drummer), Lucky Thompson (tenor solo), Horace Silver (pianist) among the signature Davis quintet of Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Davis liked to take his band through a 2/4 tempo on to a straight swing beat in its approach. This CD is a DOUBLE CD so the listener gets twice the jazz for their $$. In this CD one can hear how Davis was constantly redefining musical "possibilities and excellence". For people just getting in touch with jazz, this CD capitized on some of Miles Davis's BEST jazz creations. My favorites from this CD include "Walkin'", "'Round Midnight", & "Black Satin". On each cut, the sound and mood changes...and it's like walking into a new room open to the creative genius of Harlem in the 50s. Now's The Time to Take A Listen To Miles Davis. Add this CD to your collection. This CD will never grow old...Davis gave us a great gift in his musical creations -- music that has its own distictive emotions and a legacy that is meant to last. A BIG HIGH FIVE STARS!

The album that started my life as a jazz fanatic. .......2005-07-18

If you don't have this album, pick it up. You will either a) become engrossed in jazz or b) hate it for the rest of your life, but it's worth buying just the same. Disc one is an example of Miles in his prime, with tunes such as Now's the Time, Walkin', 'Round Midnight, Bye Bye Blackbird, So What and Someday My Prince Will Come. Disc Two is also good. ESP, Petits Machins, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, Jean Pierre and Portia are all examples of the wideness of jazz. But I hate Little Church and have to wonder why Miles covered a Cydni Lauper song.
I would've liked to see some material from Kind of Blue and Milestones. Kind of Blue is only represented by So What (Miles' best song) and Milestones isn't represented at all. They should've thrown on All Blues, Freddie Freeloader, Milestones and Straight No Chaser, not to mention the missing Dear Old Stockholm, Surrey with a Fringe on top of It, and Salt Peanuts. This may have involved a third disc, but Miles' career is too broad to be covered in two discs.
No compilation is perfect, but this is highly recommended.

see for Miles.......2005-03-29

I suppose I first was alerted to the wondrous and varied world of jazz - a world so many seem nervous of entering, for some reason (come on in, we won`t bite, and the water`s lovely, if a touch dark and deep at times) - when as a teenager I heard some of the 60s album ESP - still one of Miles`s best, most cohesive efforts, to my mind - coming out of someone`s radio. I was hooked.
The `Essential` series has so far been a sensible and worthwhile project from CBS. One thinks of the Leonard Cohen and Springsteen collections as exemplary. This one gives us about two-and-a-half hours of a musical journey one could compare to Dylan`s, Ellington`s or Van Morrison`s for its sheer diversity in contemporary music.
From his debut with Bird to his more minimalist utterings of the 80s, taking in such lovely numbers as Little Church (from the album Live-Evil), Generique (from a French movie soundtrack), So What (Kind of Blue`s opener) and the delightful Time After Time (from You`re Under Arrest) this is a musical odyssey as gripping as it is fascinating. This man rarely rested on any laurels, was always testing himself, and others, not content with the compromises that must surely have been suggested to him throughout his astonishing career. (One thinks, again, of Dylan as a comparable artist.)
Miles is not the only kind of jazz - and sometimes I need to bask in the beauties of Bechet or early Armstrong; or go into seclusion with Monk - but here is a reasonable introduction to a troubling genius of twentieth century music. Miles, we miss you.
Thankyou, as they say, for the music.

Average customer rating:

Essential Live in Stockholm, Vol. 1
Miles Davis , and John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Disk Union
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
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In Copenhagen 1960
Live in Den Haag
Live in Zurich
In Stockholm, 1960 Complete
Live in New York

ASIN: B00001ZU3W
Release Date: 2000-09-30

Tracks:

So What
On Green Dolphin Street
All Blues / The Theme
Walkin/ The Theme

Average customer rating:

Value!! ++++

Complete Studio Recordings
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: Essential Jazz Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000K15UG8
Release Date: 2007-04-23

Tracks:

Two Bass Hit
Ah-Leu-Cha
Little Melonae
Budo
Stablemates
How Am I to Know?
Just Squeeze Me
There Is No Greater Love
Theme
S'posin'
In Your Own Sweet Way
Diane

Tracks:

Trane's Blues
Something I Dreamed Last Night
It Could Happen to You
Woody'n You
Ahmad's Blues
Surrey with the Fringe on Top
It Never Entered My Mind
When I Fall in Love
Salt Peanuts
Four
Theme [Long]
Theme [Short]

Tracks:

Dear Old Stockholm
Bye Bye, Blackbird
Tadd's Delight
All of You
Sweet Sue, Just You
'Round Midnight
If I Were a Bell
Well You Needn't
'Round Midnight
Half Nelson
You're Everything

Tracks:

I Could Write a Book
Oleo
Airegin
Tune Up
When Lights Are Low
Blues by Five
My Funny Valentine
Three Little Feelings [*]
Poem for Brass [*]

Customer Reviews:

Value!! ++++.......2007-05-01

This 4 CD Set contains 6 complete albums:

1:Workin'
2:Steamin'
3:Relaxin'
4:Cookin'
5:Miles "The New Miles Davis Quintet"
6:'Round about Midnight

The 6 albums are not in any order, but still complete.
Plus 2 bonus tracks, "Brass Ensemble of the Jazz-Classical Music Society"
CD 4 >>
8:Three Little Feelings 10:49 (Previously not Released)(Miles Davis, tp)
9:Poem For Brass 9:53 (Previously not Released)(Miles Davis, tp)

This is a good value way to start collecting Miles, or fill in some gaps.

Average customer rating:

The Essential Pop Sampler
Billy Joel , Frank Sinatra , Willie Nelson , Tony Bennett , Earth Wind & Fire , Santana , Miles Davis , Luther Vandross , Simon & Garfunkel , and Johnny Cash
Manufacturer: Pop
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0009Y9KOO

Product Description

Includes: Piano Man, Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night in The Week), On The Road Again, The Best Is Yet To Come, That's The Way of The World, Samba Pa' Ti, So What, Here and Now, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Ring Of Fire

Average customer rating:

Excellent music collection, great bio on DVD

The Essential Plus
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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The Cellar Door Sessions 1970
Casino Royale (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000AP2Z4E
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Now's The Time
Jeru
Compulsion
Tempus Fugit
Walkin'
'Round Midnight
Bye Bye Blackbird
New Rhumba
Generique
Summertime
So What
The Pan Piper
Someday My Prince Will Come

Tracks:

My Funny Valentine
E.S.P.
Nefertiti
Petits Machins (Little Stuff)
Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
Little Church
Black Satin
Jean Pierre
Time After Time
Portia

Customer Reviews:

Excellent music collection, great bio on DVD.......2006-11-14

There have been many Miles Davis "best of's". And while it is near impossible to capture the depth and sheer numbers of his recordings, this collection goes a long way towards capturing the breadth of the diversity of styles that Miles Davis created and traversed over his long and bountiful career. Selections from be-bop, the cool, fusion and many other styles are included, along with the obvious list of heavyweights that Miles started out with (Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie) and played with along the way.

But the bio pic on the DVD makes this collection worth the price of admission. Over two hours and 49 chapters of exhaustive detail of his life, including interviews with his family (wives, children, nephews), band mates, producers and Miles himself. Starting from his birth and childhood, through to his first trumpet in the high school band, to playing with Parker and Diz, through the heroin addictions, to the birth of cool, Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, fusion and his later years, his story is well presented through many perspectives.

An excellent combination of music and video. Highly recommended, for serious Miles fans and listeners new to jazz.

Average customer rating:

Essential Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: EMI/Blue Note
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00008O8CU
Release Date: 2003-03-31

Tracks:

Move
Godchild
Budo
Dear Old Stockholm
Donna
Yesterdsys
Tempus Fugit
Enigma
CTA
Well You Neednt
It Never Entered My Mind
Weirdo
Somethin Else
Autumn Leaves

Album Description

Budget price collection from EMI features 14 tracks from the jazz great. Copy Controlled. 2003.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Anthology of the Best Recordings the Late Great Jazz Trumpeter Laid Down for the Blue Note Label. Includes Breathtaking Versions of "Autumn Leaves", "Donna", "Tempus Fugit", "Somethin' Else" and Many More.

Average customer rating:

The Essential Miles Davis
Miles Davis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000EU1KI2
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Average customer rating:

The Essential Collection
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: West End
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000KG49YW
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Tracks:

When Lights Are Low
Tune Up
Miles Ahead
Smooch
Four
Old Devil Moon
Blue Haze
Solar
You Don't Know What Love Is
Love Me or Leave Me
I'll Remember April
Blue 'N' Boogie
Walkin'
Airegin

Tracks:

Oleo
But Not for Me (Take 1)
Doxy
Bag's Groove [Take 2]
Bemsha Swing
Swing Spring
Man I Love (Take 2)
Nature Boy
Alone Together
There's No You
Easy Living

Average customer rating:

The Essential Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: Tristar
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00008FX4M
Release Date: 1994-08-19

Tracks:

Bye Bye Blackbird
'Round Midnight
On Green Dolphin Street
All Blues
Someday My Prince Will Come
Concierto de Aranjuez
Springsville
Maids of Cadiz
Summertime
Once upon a Summertime
Corcovado
Autumn Leaves
My Funny Valentine
Petits Machins (Little Stuff)
Spanish Key

Average customer rating:

More Essential Jazz: 15 Classic Jazz Tracks

Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000BGMFH4

Product Description

TRACK LISTING:** 1).TAKE TH E"A" TRAIN 2). STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT 3). THE SIDEWINDER 4). I GUESS I'LL HANG MY TEARS OUT TO DRY 5). LAURA 6). THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE HILL 7). THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME 8). LULLABY OF BIRDLAND 9). APRIL IN PARIS 10). FEVER 11). MISTY 12). ON GREEN DOLPHIN ST. 13). NUIT SUR LES CHAMPS ELYSEES 14). WATERMELON MAN 15). THE MORE I SEE YOU

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Jazz Music

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