Miles Davis Albums

[lukeguitar]

New to jazz guitar and like some friends suggested i want to start listening to some Miles Davis stuffs ..... Would appreciate if you guys would recommend some of his albums that would really help me get into jazz and help improve my improvisation ..........  There are sooooo many out there and i dont know which ones to download first ... Lol .........Thank you

[akubra]

"Kind of Blue" is good one to start with.

[339 in june]

Beside that, for guitar, you can have a look at "We want Miles" with Mike Stern

[acoustictones]

Kind Of Blue will almost always come highly recommended. I have been listening to it for years, and still get new things out of it almost every time I listen to it. The piano alone an incredible lesson in comping behind the horns. And then of course there are sooooo many great solos and lines from each player. It's almost endless what I feel I could learn from just those.

I'm a big Miles Davis fan, but that will always be the first album that suggest to anyone interested in Miles or jazz in general.

[MarkRhodes]

"The Definitive Miles Davis on Prestige" is a great collection. From Amazon, you can get the two-disc set for $7.99.

Lots of legendary performances: Oleo, I Could Write A Book, When Lights Are Low, Four, Solar, I'll Remember April, There Is No Greater Love, Walkin', Dig, Salt Peanuts, 'Round Midnight, My Funny Valentine, Tune-Up, and several others.

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Mil.../dp/B004N5DHLC

[lukeguitar]

Thank you so much Akurba , 339 in june , acoustic tones and Mark Rhodes ....... Ill definitely get all of the ones you guys suggested

[jtizzle]

I was never a fan of Kind Of Blue. Listen to the [verb]in' records (Steamin, Cookin, etc). These are really great and are some of the definitive recordings of tunes a lot of people play and call.

My favorites are his 2nd quintet records, Sorcerer, Miles Smiles, Live at The Plugged Nickel are all great.

[TH]

You're right, there IS so much out there! What kind of music are you listening to right now? I found that there was so much that it helped when I started with something that was close to my taste at the moment.
I've always considered Cannonball Adderly's album Somethin' Else one of my favourites. It was recorded in 1958 and it's great to hear Miles as a sideman to Cannonball, who was Miles' alto player for a very important period. Miles gets to play alongside Art Blakey and Hank Jones with the comfort of bandmates who are just making great music.
A really nice Autumn Leaves...and because it's Adderly's project it too often gets overlooked.
David

[asf1187]

Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is my favorite Miles album. It will give you lots of great soloing ideas, so will A Kind of Blue. Also, I love Someday My Prince Will Come and ESP. Just great albums all-around.

[lukeguitar]

Thank you very much jtizzle ,truthhertz and asf1187 ........ Really appreciate your help

[coolvinny]

I would also highly recomment "The Complete Prestige Sessions" which is a 2-disc set with Sonny Rollins on almost every track. The playing is quite bebop-y all around.

[lukeguitar]

Thank you very much coolvinny .......... Surely giving it a listen

[Stuart Elliott]

There's a 8 CD complete Miles Davis on Prestige

AND, a 4 CD set of The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions which includes 3 CDs of Miles' quintets on Prestige and a 4th CD of live recordings from the period.

AND, a 2 CD compilation (The Definitive Miles Davis on Prestige) culled from the complete collection and, perhaps, the bonus material on the legendary set.

Something Else and Kind of Blue are also certainly worth listening to careefully.

[lukeguitar]

Thanks a lot Stuart Elliott

[Flyin' Brian]

Pat Metheny said that Four And More was the album that started him down the jazz guitar path. It's now pretty much available along with My Funny Valentine as a double live set.
But Kinda Blue is the default choice. Birth of The Cool is up there too ... for me.

[eccegeorge]

Here is my list:

(1) Kind of Blue is like the jazz gateway drug. So many people fall in love with that album first. There is a good reason why it is the best selling jaz album of all-time (apparently).

Personnel:

Miles - Trumpet
Cannonball - Alto
Coltrane - Tenor
Bill Evans - Piano
Wynton Kelly - Piano of Freddie Freeloader
Paul Chambers - Bass
Jimmy Cobb - Drums


Wynton Kelly's solo on "Freddie Freeloader" is one of my favorite solos ever. I am also told that Miles' solo on "So What" is one of the first note-for-note solos most jazz trumpet players learn.

One great thing about this album is how many different approaches you can hear. Coltrane is blazing through his sheets of sound, squarely in his Giant Steps mindset, and Miles and Bill Evans are already going down the road to modal jazz that will have such a huge influence on everybody. Meanwhile, Cannonball is his always outstanding hard bop blues-infused delightful self.

(2) Milestones is basically the precursor to Kind of Blue the genesis of everything that is going on there, with one foot squarely in the 60s and one foot in the 50s.

Personnel:

Miles - Trumpet
Cannonball - Alto
Coltrane - Tenor
Red Garland - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass
Philly Joe Jones - Drums

(3) Any one of: Workin', Steamin', Cookin', Relaxin' I really think of these as one album. They all resulted from just a couple of recording sessions. I think the story goes that Miles was trying to get out of his contract with Prestige so he needed to pump out some albums to satisfy the terms. These are quintessential free-wheelin' hard-bop to complete perfection. Hard to beat.

Personnel:

Miles - Trumpet
Coltrane - Tenor
Red Garland - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass
Philly Joe Jones - Drums

(4) E.S.P the first (I think, at least the best) album with Miles' second great quintet. Featuring these young upstarts you might recognize:

Miles - Trumpet
Wayne Shorter - Tenor
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Ron Carter - Bass
Tony Williams - Drums

25-year-old Herbie Hancock is so much fun on thise album because you really can hear all of the genius that is to come.


Miles Davis is not just great because he is a great trumpet player. Miles Davis is great because of his amazing ability ot surround himself with the best musicians. So you HAVE to have a sampling of all of the four above. Kind of Blue gives you the modal Bill Evans; Milestones is the classic sextet (Cannonball); Workin', etc. give you the classic quintet in purest form; and E.S.P gives you the second great quintet.


BONUS ALBUM: Miles and Quincy: Live at Montreux After Miles fell into his awful pop fusion phase, he famously refused to ever play the old stuff again. Somehow, Quincy Jones finally convinced him to re-vist his early days for the first time in 30 years, and the result is captured on this album. Miles passed away the same year, ending his life on a high note.

[lukeguitar]

Thank you so much cosmic gumbo , Flyin brian and eccegeorge for your replies Definitely getting all the Cds of the albums you guys suggested ......

[lukeguitar]

Thank you for your reply ...... I never knew all of those jazz greats played together in the 'kind of blue' recording until now . No wonder everyone suggested this particular album .

[Michael Keller]

Kind Of Blue, for sure.
I recently picked up Cookin', and would recommend that one as well.

If you want to try some "electric" Miles, i'd say try Bitches Brew...

[Cunamara]

Here is my list:

(1) Kind of Blue is like the jazz gateway drug.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

Seriously, that is exactly what it is. Virtually anyone can listen to and enjoy that album, from the person hearing jazz for the very first time to the most established jazz snob. It's easy to understand and deeply sophisticated music at the same time.

[lukeguitar]

Thank you Michael Keller and Cunamara for your replies ' Kind of Blue ' on loop now

[jaco]

While you're getting into all the great suggestions above, I would also read his autobiography. It will bring this great music into focus and provide a good foundation for your listening.

[TH]

The band that brought John Scofield from one of the strongest guitar trio leaders into a high profile leader in his own right was a high point in my book. A rare nod to Miles' respect for Scofield- they performed compositions penned by AND credited to John. I saw Miles and Sco as almost co-leaders at that point, both really strong voices that gave each other something neither could do alone.
It was another defining band we hear the results from today.

Very different from the early Miles, and a really exciting chemistry.
David

[lukeguitar]

Thank you Jaco for replying ..... I will do that for sure And Thank you Truthhertz for sharing this wonderful video . Very inspiring