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Miles Davis: My Funny Valentine
I have always preferred to separation into "hot" and "cool," as it keeps each recording in a consistent mood. This one, the ballads, is chock-full of cherished moments. Miles' opening solo on "My Funny Valentine" essentially recast his role as the darling of the hip elite, and it's easy to hear why. With sensitivity and delicacy, he draws you in by his whisper of a tone, making the piece all the more lyrical and pleading. Ditto for "I Thought About You," which has the trumpeter sounding reflective and lonely one moment, obtrusive the next.
As a transitional figure in this band, George Coleman gives the performance of his life, with robust solos full of gently swinging, yet slightly abstract ideas on the toe-tapping "All of You" and the mid-tempo "All Blues." With the rhythm section of soon-to-be superstars Ron Carter (bass), Herbie Hancock (piano), and 19-year-old Tony Williams (drums), Coleman is pushed, pulled, and tugged through each song. As with so many of Davis' bands, this incarnation was not to last very long. Miles was looking for something else, and he would find it in Coleman's replacement, Wayne Shorter. But that should not be cause to dismiss the importance of this band or this recording.
Track Listing
My Funny Valentine; All Of You; Stella by Starlight; All Blues; I Thought About You
Personnel
Miles Davis
trumpetMiles Davis (trumpet); George Coleman (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Tony Williams (drums)
Album information
Title: My Funny Valentine | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Sony Music