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  1. #1
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Soon to be overwhelmed by Miles

    In my stocking this year was a note that I would be receiving the Miles Davis Complete Columbia Album Collection, Amazon exclusive, limited edition box set to be released early January. From my father-in-law, no less. This was a complete and total surprise, and one for which many effusive thanks were issued.

    I'm not sure how one goes about listening to 70 CDs. The set, it goes without saying, should be fantastic. How can it not be with all 52 studio albums inside. Amazon even has a video so you can see what's inside the thing. I currently have about 10 Miles disks, far from encyclopedic, and by and large, all I ever felt I needed. After I listened to the famous ones a bazillion times I figured, "Well, I think I know what Miles sounds like, time to go check out all the band members."

    I'm not much on the 'learned' side when it comes to Jazz. I listen, I enjoy, I look for something new. I'm a bit concerned the comprehensiveness of this thing is wasted on me. But, I'm certainly not complaining.

    I think I have no choice but to go through this set chronologically. Any advice? It's going to take me forever. Probably going to need to start my own blog...heh heh. Album by album.

    Seriously. Any advice?


  2. #2
    Vinyl Fundamentalist Forums Moderator poppachubby's Avatar
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    Wow! Lucky you. Like most jazz greats, there'll be alot of revised tracks and repeats. I like the chronological approach, perhaps an album a day or every other day so you can take it in and reflect a bit.

    Certainly wish I had your problems...

  3. #3
    Forum Regular nobody's Avatar
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    Holy ****. I like Miles Davis quite a lot, but that is some serious overload to deal with. Good luck.

  4. #4
    3LB
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    cunning linguist 3LB's Avatar
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    I'd go at it album or two a week. You won't do yourself or the music any justice if you try to digest all of that too quickly. Have fun.
    Repost this on your wall if you love Jesus.

  5. #5
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Wow. That's a lot of music. Nice gift from dad-in-law. He must like you.

  6. #6
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    I like 3LB's idea. There must be a book or good website that follows all the albums chronologically out there - might not hurt as a guide, perhaps offering suggestions on thing things to listen for, or neat tidbits of information.

    That's a fantastic gift. I am jealous.

  7. #7
    Forum Regular dwayne.aycock's Avatar
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    You are indeed the man!!!!! I love Miles. I have lots of his stuff on CD as well as on Vinyl. I suggest looking at the recording dates of the various recordings, and playing them in order. You will be impressed with the evolution of Mile's sound and playing styles. He always played with his trumpet tuned very sharp in the early days. As he matured, he played long flatted tones. He finally settled on the muted trumpet. He was able to play deep and dark tones with the mute, and later on bright tones still with the muted trumpet. To get an idea of what I am talking about, I suggest listening to his ingo" album, I think it is one of his best albums.
    Enjoy !!! Dwayne
    I am going to order that comilation as well. Thanks for letting me know it was out there.

  8. #8
    Suspended atomicAdam's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dwayne.aycock
    I suggest listening to his "Dingo" album, I think it is one of his best albums.
    I like to sometime look up artist or albums on allmusic.com. I had a gander at what it says about "Dingo" and well....

    "In 1990 Miles Davis starred in a movie about a veteran trumpeter (talk about typecasting) and had a rare opportunity to play part of the time in a straightahead setting. Fellow trumpeter Chuck Findley performs the solos for a younger musician who befriends Davis and Michel Legrand arranged and composed the music. There are some good moments on these selections (Findley actually overshadows Davis in some places) but since this is a soundtrack, the music does not often stand up that well by itself. It's a worthy effort but is sure to become an obscurity."

    You might want to ask to submit a kinder review.

    dwayne.aycock - You are a lucky man. My good buddy got me the Led Zepplin "Mothership" vinyl box set. (not purchased from Amazon btw).

    But dang if that Mile box set seem to beat it, cept it ain't on vinyl.

  9. #9
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    I like 3LB's idea. There must be a book or good website that follows all the albums chronologically out there - might not hurt as a guide, perhaps offering suggestions on thing things to listen for, or neat tidbits of information.

    That's a fantastic gift. I am jealous.
    Actually, I hadn't considered searching for sites like this yet. There must be one somewhere. Maybe now that this beast is coming out they'll be a ton of them. I suppose I could search album by album for reviews. You hit the nail on the head though, suggestions and tidbits. That's what I think I need to get the most out of it.

  10. #10
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Let the overwhelming begin

    I was traveling last week when the box arrived. This week I've been ripping and listening while I work, work being where I do most of my listening these days (albeit often interrupted listening). The box set is compact and imposing. All the paper sleeves are made to look like mini LPs shrunk down. I like that the artistic impression of the album is maintained. However, the text is tiny and the resolution not well preserved. I suppose its too much to ask that they redo the fonts so they're crisp. There's a nice CD sized booklet to accompany the set and the latter half of the book gives a paragraph about each album then some of the recording details about each track. The details mnake up for the lack of readability on the sleeves.

    I figured I'd go through this chronologically and decided to commit to posting something on each album. As above, I'm no expert and certainly this much Miles is overkill for 99.8% of the population. I do not represent the remaining 0.2%. But, it is a cool collection and I think I'll get more out of it if I do this. Hopefully, there's at least one or two of you that might follow along and help me out.

    Proceeding chronologically (with clickable album art for limited time sampling on each as I go) the first up is



    A 1949 recording that was first released in 1977. The jacket kind of sums it up. "We are of course aware of the fact that the technical quality of these recordings is somewhat below contemporary [1977 -n0] professional standards and that no doctoring could possibly restore the beauty of the live sound of the Quintet those nights. Yet we like to think that the listener will overlook the shortcoming in view of the very high musical standard of the performance "

    There's some very good performances here. Certainly tunes that are getting dated by now, but it would've been fun to be there even today. I've always liked "All the things you are" and "Embraceable You" and some of the other tracks. I didn't think Miles himself stood out much. The jacket notes makes a deal about how Miles took the audience by surprise playing forte instead of mezzo forte. I wonder about the constitution of the crowd. What I enjoyed the most was the spirit of [looks at liner notes] James Moody on tenor and Tadd Dameron on piano. However, it's clear that this is a highly functional group and they really played well together. I'll admit that I probably won't come back to this album much simply on the basis of less than stellar recording quality.

  11. #11
    Vinyl Fundamentalist Forums Moderator poppachubby's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by noddin0ff
    I'll admit that I probably won't come back to this album much simply on the basis of less than stellar recording quality.
    This will be a problem on much of the 50's sessions, particularily live stuff.

  12. #12
    Rocket Surgeon Swish's Avatar
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    I saw him live about a year before he died...

    ...and I'm glad I did. Have to say the show was more about his band at that point. He did some cool stuff, but he was clearly past his prime.

    Kind of Blue still gets all the hype, and deservedly so for many reasons, but check out 'Round About Midnight that was recorded about 1955 when his band included John Coltrane. Stellar stuff in my opine.

    Swishaddy - Kind of Blue tonight.
    I call my bathroom Jim instead of John so I can tell people that I go to the Jim first thing every morning.

    If you say the word 'gullible' very slowly it sounds just like oranges.

  13. #13
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Actually, 'Round About Midnight' is next up. I got to see him around that time too, maybe 1988 in Seattle. Mostly saw his back. Concert turned me on to Chick Corea who (I hope I remember correctly) was keyboard for that gig. Kind of Blue and Round About Midnight was most of my Miles exposure at the time so fast forward past Amandla was a bit of a shock to my Jazz noob ears. Good show though.

  14. #14
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    #02 'Round About Midnight




    'Round Midnight
    Ah-Leu-Cha
    All Of You
    Bye Bye Blackbird
    Tadd's Delight
    Dear Old Stockholm
    Two Bass Hit*
    Little Melonae*
    Budo*
    Sweet Sue, Just You*


    I got my first CD player in 1986. Kind of Blue was one of the first CDs I bought. Shortly after, I picked up ‘Round About Midnight. I’m pretty sure ‘Round About Midnight was in the first handful of CDs I owned. I listened to this so many times it’s a little hard to hear it fresh. It may very well have been my second jazz album and the one that got me to explore jazz. I loved the title track and from studying the liner notes went on to start purchasing T. Monk albums. Since Coltrane was on both Miles albums I had, I picked up Blue Train…and so it started.

    The highpoint of the album for me has always been when Coltrane enters in on ‘Round About with this languid and free solo half way into the piece. It’s a classy album, bluesy, swingin’ and easy on the ears. Nice contrasts with Miles on the muted trumpet and the brighter sax and piano. Bye Bye Blackbird also fixated me for a long time. I remember going to the concert mentioned in my above post hoping he’d play that one. Um, no. There are 4 tracks (*) on this release that I didn’t have on my version. They’re not as lushly produced as the original tracks but they are more ‘jazzy’ in the lively sense. Two Bass Hit shows up on the next album in this series in a more produced form. The bonus tracks seem a little more risky than the original cuts. Maybe because the originals sound so much like standards now.

    The text in the box set comments on how its production was well planned. And, it does sound smoothly produced. Wiki comments on this being a pinnacle of hard bop. The liner notes bring up words like rich and breathy and intimate. All of this is apt.

    This album made a big impression on me when I first heard it and for years after. It’s not as iconic as Kind of Blue but it’s a logical next step from there and on into Jazz in general. It’s a keeper.

    Next up: Circle in the Round

  15. #15
    Rocket Surgeon Swish's Avatar
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    I stand corrected. I checked with the venue...

    Quote Originally Posted by noddin0ff
    Actually, 'Round About Midnight' is next up. I got to see him around that time too, maybe 1988 in Seattle. Mostly saw his back. Concert turned me on to Chick Corea who (I hope I remember correctly) was keyboard for that gig. Kind of Blue and Round About Midnight was most of my Miles exposure at the time so fast forward past Amandla was a bit of a shock to my Jazz noob ears. Good show though.
    ...which is the Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA (used to live on the outskirts of that city) and they confirmed he played there in May of 1987. It was after he released Amandla, but Corea wasn't with him for the show I saw. I remember he had an 18 year old hot shot on lead guitar though, and he allowed the kid to show off quite a bit. As I recall, I saw a lot of Miles's back too. When I saw Bill Frisell a few years ago, our seats were directly in front of him, but he stood sideways, facing the drummer (Jack DeJohnette) the entire time. As a frustrated guitarist, it drove me crazy that I couldn't see his hands moving up and down the fretboard. I guess he has some type of stage fright and won't face the audience?
    I call my bathroom Jim instead of John so I can tell people that I go to the Jim first thing every morning.

    If you say the word 'gullible' very slowly it sounds just like oranges.

  16. #16
    Man of the People Forums Moderator bobsticks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Swish
    ...and I'm glad I did. Have to say the show was more about his band at that point. He did some cool stuff, but he was clearly past his prime.

    Kind of Blue still gets all the hype, and deservedly so for many reasons, but check out 'Round About Midnight that was recorded about 1955 when his band included John Coltrane. Stellar stuff in my opine.

    Swishaddy - Kind of Blue tonight.
    This post from the heathen Swish ****s with my reality...
    So, I broke into the palace
    With a sponge and a rusty spanner
    She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
    I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

  17. #17
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Swish
    I remember he had an 18 year old hot shot on lead guitar though, and he allowed the kid to show off quite a bit. As I recall, I saw a lot of Miles's back too.
    I remember that kid. I wonder if he's a somebody now? It rather bugged me at the time. There was a good 20 minute stretch where Miles wandered off into the dark somewhere and this kid on guitar sat front and center, legs dangling off the stage, soloing around. I'm thinking I paid all this money to hear Miles and this unknown dude is all I get? Would it have killed Miles to come out an blow a note every couple of minutes? Anyway... who was the kid?

  18. #18
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    #03 Circle in the Round



    Two Bass Hit - 1955
    Love For Sale - 1958
    Blues No. 2 - 1961
    Circle In The Round - 1967
    Teo's Bag - 1968
    Side Car I - 1968
    Side Car II - 1968
    Splash - 1968
    Sanctuary - 1968
    Guinnevere - 1970


    Circle in the Round is placed at #3 in the chronological box set but was released in 1979. Apparently in 1979, Miles hadn’t released anything for several years so Columbia put out an album of unreleased material. The tracks span 1955 (hence the #3 position) to 1970, but the bulk of the album is 1967-8. Starting 1955 off is Two Bass Hit, a track added as a bonus on ‘Round About Midnight. Better production here.

    Track 2, Love for Sale (1958) is very nice and one can’t complain about the lineup (Cannonball Adderley, alto sax; Coltrane, tenor; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums). I bring this up because Love for Sale is also a stand out track on Cannonball Adderley’s album Something Else, released 1958 and recorded 10 weeks earlier (w/ Miles, trumpet, Hank Jones, piano; Sam Jones, bass; Art Blakey, drums). With Miles and Adderley on both, and 10 weeks between recordings, there’s a lot that is similar. On Something Else, Blakey adds more interesting rhythms and Cannonball really floats the sax. On Circles, you get more solos from everyone and additional 5 minutes on the track, great piano with Evans, Coltrane shining, less muted Miles. As much as I like Something Else, I’m going to give a strong nod of preference to the cut on Circles. This track is a winner.

    Blues No.2 continues in the hard bop theme. Bouncy and lively. Miles plays strong and assertive.

    And then…Circle’s in the Round. This is a really good track, weighing in at over 26 minutes. The line up, and the instrumentation here is completely different than that of the preceding tracks. Miles, trumpet, chimes & bells; Wayne Shorter, tenor; Joe Beck, electric guitar; Herbie Hancock, celeste; Ron Carter, bass; Tony Williams, drums. I don’t know how it fits into the larger chronology of album releases; I’ve got about 25 more to go before I get to 1967 albums. The album liner notes wax, “The jewel of this collection. ‘Circle in the Round’ links three luminous spheres in the galaxy of Miles Davis –Sketches of Spain, Nefertiti, and In a Silent Way.” Which, on a bad day could sound like a recipe for total disaster. But, yeah, that hits it about right, and this was clearly an excellent day. A really absorbing piece--Bass and drums walking circles around each other (side note” an effect I also dug in my favorite jazz album of 2008, Petite Oiseau by William Parker Quartet). Mediterranean flourishes and chords, trancelike vibes and ethereal soundscapes. It might take a few minutes to let it pull you in. I find that around 6 minutes I start to lose myself in it. This track apparently marks Miles step into the electric and step out of ‘standard’ jazz. It’s a bold and successful step. A standout for sure.

    No comment really on Teo’s Bag and Side car. Splash made me think of Sonny Rollins' Next Album. Happy rollicking juicy music.

    And the closer, Guinnevere. Another really good track, and 18 minutes too. Unlike Circles in the Round, this one pulls you in from the get go with hypnotic gentle sitar and a low walking bass and vibes. This is a cover of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Youngs tune. After a bit of youtube-ing, I’m thankful that I never really knew the CSNY version. It’s pretty, to be sure, but the lyrics are so…I don’t know…the way a bunch of the music of the time was, giving the impression of being deep with mystical-tinged lyrics that now seem naive and dorky. Anyway, Mile’s version blessedly has no lyrics. Not being familiar with CNSY’s version, I really liked this track. This may be the same cut that’s on the Complete B1tches Brew Sessions. It has smoldering sensuousness and some quality keyboard noodling. 18 minutes of my day well spent.

    Summation on Circles in the round - 3 great tracks, Love for Sale, Circles in the Round, Guinnevere. Splash and Blues No 2 are pretty good. There others didn’t stand out much for me. Odd album because it spans too much time, but the tracks are good.

    Next up at #4 – Miles Ahead (1957).

  19. #19
    Man of the People Forums Moderator bobsticks's Avatar
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    Could've been John Scofield, John McLaughlin or Sonny Sharrock...geniuses all...
    So, I broke into the palace
    With a sponge and a rusty spanner
    She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
    I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

  20. #20
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bobsticks
    Could've been John Scofield, John McLaughlin or Sonny Sharrock...geniuses all...
    Nope. The kid had to of been born in the 70's, he was young.

  21. #21
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    You all know the cover art is clickable for a short time only...

  22. #22
    Vinyl Fundamentalist Forums Moderator poppachubby's Avatar
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    Noddin, just so you know I have been DL'ing from this thread. Thanks so much!

  23. #23
    Man of the People Forums Moderator bobsticks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by noddin0ff
    Nope. The kid had to of been born in the 70's, he was young.

    ...Pete Cosey, Larry Coryell? Mebbe, mebbe...
    So, I broke into the palace
    With a sponge and a rusty spanner
    She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
    I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

  24. #24
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by poppachubby
    Noddin, just so you know I have been DL'ing from this thread. Thanks so much!
    Tnx. I always wonder. I see only 2 DLs per album so far. Not that I wanna promote piracy. I really want to promote discussion and exploration. I only ripped to 192kbps MP3, a resolution that to my ears falls a tad short of the CDs buit not so much you can't get great enjoyment. I know the lovers of music that frequent here will purchase what they like. PMs accepted, but this threads going to go on for some time so I'm not looking to become a bargain outlet, if you get my drift. Happy listening.

  25. #25
    Rocket Surgeon Swish's Avatar
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    You little corn-fed, mohawk mutant! Those guys are way too old.

    Quote Originally Posted by bobsticks
    Could've been John Scofield, John McLaughlin or Sonny Sharrock...geniuses all...
    McLaughlin was born in 48, Scofield in 51 and Sharrock in 1940. This kid was 18 in 1987, so he would have been born in 1969-70. He's probably a session player somewhere, but I'm going to do a little research and see if I can't figure it out.

    Swishdaddy - younger than all three of those guys...by a mile!
    I call my bathroom Jim instead of John so I can tell people that I go to the Jim first thing every morning.

    If you say the word 'gullible' very slowly it sounds just like oranges.

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