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Reviewers: Don Mather, Dick Stafford, Marc Bridle, John Eyles, Ian Lace, Colin Clarke, Jack Ashby


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MILES DAVIS

Jazz Moods – Cool

Columbia/Legacy

COL 516423-2

 

 

 

1

On Green Dolphin Street

6

Corcovado

2

Summertime

7

Some Day My Prince Will Come

3

Bye Bye Blackbird

8

So Near, So Far

4

Pinocchio

9

Miles Ahead

5

All Blues

10

So What

Miles Davis was a unique musician and one of the three most influential trumpeters throughout the history of jazz – the others being Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. However, he differed greatly from Armstrong and Gillespie in as much as he performed with more emotion and abstraction, and his approach to phrasing, especially space, was second to none.

The ten tracks are selected from nine albums – numbers 5 & 10, All Blues and So What are taken from the 1959 album All Blue. That complete album is acknowledged as a modal jazz masterpiece. Over forty years since it was recorded the album continues to generate new followers and is a vital component in any serious jazz collection. Bearing in mind the number of albums there is no point in trying to place one above the other. But what there is here is sufficient material to whet the appetite and encourage the listener to take a much deeper look into this exciting period of Miles Davis’ career.

Davis’ selection of accompanying musicians includes several who have also made their mark on jazz – John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. The titles vary from popular pieces – Bye Bye Blackbird and Summertime to the complex Pinocchio and Miles Ahead.

This is a very interesting selection of material and is highly recommended.

Jack Ashby

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