Search - Miles Davis :: Miles Davis - Greatest Hits [Columbia 1997]

Greatest hits, but only from a narrow slice of career

Alan Mills | Chicago, Illinois USA | 04/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Miles Davis pioneered (at least) five entirely different periods/styles of jazz during his career. He was on the cutting edge of be-bop, playing with Charlie Parker. He was literally present a the birth of cool jazz, had an amazing series of records in the 50's, produced several cutting edge big band works with Gil Evans (Sketches of Spain being the most famous), had a second great band in the early 60's, and was again present at the birth of jazz-rock fusion ([...]Brew).



No one albumn has ever attempted to be a "greatest Hits" covering this entire spectrum. And this is no exception. Rather, it is focused narrowly on the pre-electric, post Kind of Blue, period from the mid-50's to the early, pre-electric 60's.



While it is impossible to consider this albumn a real "greatest hits" package, as it completely ignores most of Miles' great hits, it is a wonderful, accessible introduction to what many would consider the most productive 15 years in the middle of Miles' long career.



Start here. Just don't stop here. There is so much more!"

Greatest Hits? Was that meant to be ironic?

C. CRADDOCK | Bakersfield | 06/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Miles Davis didn't have hits when compared to pop music. You won't see this or a similar compilation touted on late night TV ads for the K-Tell label. But within the genre of jazz, Miles had hits like crazy. I think that Kind of Blue is one of the top selling jazz albums of all time, and this has two tunes from that album, but they are different versions, live and a bit grittier.



I am writing this review the day before Father's Day, so I just want to say that my dad had this album, the vinyl LP, and after many many years had gone by I finally discovered it. I played trumpet in Elementary School, inspired by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, but gave it up around Junior High. When I finally "heard" it I complained to my dad, why hadn't he exposed this to me earlier, so I would have been inspired and wouldn't have given up the trumpet? Of course, I wasn't really ready to comprehend it at that age, and he probably did expose it to me but it went in one ear and out the other. So, dad, I appologize for blaming you for ruining my musical career.



The CD is different than the LP version, though the tunes and running order are the same, some different versions are used, and they are longer, unedited. The 2 from Kind of Blue, So What and All Blues, are live versions, not the ones on the Kind of Blue album. Someday My Prince Will Come, E.S.P., Seven Steps To Heaven, and Round Midnight are all the title tracks of their respective albums, so if you want to explore them further, they will be easy to find. Round Midnight has a ballad treatment by Miles, then the tempo is kicked up a notch for a Coltrane solo. Really nice piano on Prince, that I thought was Bill Evans, but is actually Wynton Kelly.



This "Greatest Hits" is a great introduction, just don't stop here.



One more thing, Happy Father's Day, dad."