Jazz Articles about Miles Davis

Miles Davis: Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet (Remastered)

by C. Michael Bailey
October 2, 2002

Was this the greatest small jazz group ever?

What can be said for a classic that has not already been said? Damn Little, I think. But perhaps a little history is in order. Steamin' was part of two marathon recording sessions (May 11, 1956 and October 26, 1956) undertaken by the first great Miles Davis Quintet to complete their contractual obligation to Prestige records before the group moved to Columbia records. Rather than present new material in these sessions, Davis ...

Miles Davis: The Last Word - The Warner Bros. Years

by Jim Santella
August 3, 2002

Change isn't always welcome. As long as things are going okay, folks would just as soon leave things the way they are. But what's okay for one person or group may not be the same for others. So, when Miles Davis hit the 1970s and 1980s with a fusion of hip, electronic, synthesized and mainstream sounds in one tight package, some folks resisted. Some even complained. Even today, many feel that everything Davis did after 1969 isn't worth collecting.

Miles Davis: Water Babies

by Jim Santella
August 1, 2002

Every morning, about an hour before sunrise, the day breaks gradually, with little noticeable fanfare. It’s the best time of day outdoors. The nighttime goblins have gone to their hiding places, loud day creatures have yet to rise, and it’s just us with the cool morning mist and that dim kind of landscape that lets us see only what we want to see.

When Water Babies was recorded in 1967 and 1968, Miles Davis had with him ...

Miles Davis: Filles De Kilimanjaro

by Jim Santella
August 1, 2002

The excitement in this classic 1968 album remains as firm as it was back then. Jazz is still looking, today, for a musical voice to rival that of Miles Davis. At the peak of his career, the trumpeter was experimenting with the new sound of electric piano and electric bass when he assembled this program of straight-ahead material. The big revolution was yet to come. Filles De Kilimanjaro is reissued here with superb sound quality and the addition of an ...

Miles Davis: The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions

by Michael Fortuna
December 1, 2001

Miles Davis was an innovator from the moment he first picked up the trumpet. But for years, the public didn't have a clear enough picture of Davis' journey from jazz into the rock/funk sounds of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix as well as his use of electric instruments.At the time, all the public knew of was the funk groove and electric piano sounds of “Stuff" from Miles in the Sky, followed by more electric sounds on Filles de ...

Miles Davis: 'Round About Midnight

by Jim Santella
November 1, 2001

His Harmon mute brought deep feelings to this title ballad in 1956. It also brought wider recognition to a tenor saxophonist who was just starting to climb the stairs. Four titles from those same recording sessions have been added to the original LP and reissued this year on CD. In that respect, it's been a very good year. Miles Davis used space like few others cared to. It gave his performances an air of dignity and respect. Remember, bebop was ...

Miles Davis: At Newport 1958

by Jim Santella
October 1, 2001

This is a different Miles Davis. He's playing much better than he had when bebop was in its infancy. Accuracy and tone had always meant a lot to the trumpeter, and he worked hard to get it done just right. During the fifties, he kept getting better and better. Here, he's using both Harmon mute and a natural, open tone to get his message across. This is also a far cry from the Miles Davis who later took his trademark ...