Anthology - Miles Davis

Advantages: Good
Disadvantages: Bad

...Kind of Blue might have received most of the acclaim but Milestones, the recorded debut of the Miles Davis Sextet, is in the same league. This remarkable super group (featuring Davis's trumpet, tenor-saxophonist John Coltrane, altoist Cannonball Adderley, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones) was arguably the greatest one Miles Davis ever led. "Two Bass Hit" features the two saxes trading off with fire and "Billy Boy" showcases the Red Garland trio (showing what they learned from Ahmad Jamal), but "Straight No Chaser" really demonstrates what a powerhouse band this was.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Virtuoso trumpet at its best
Disadvantages: Only the re-released version has the sound quality it deserves

...The first time I heard this CD was with my Grandparents as a young child, I didn't understand and didn't appreciate the beauty of the music, I remember my granddad tapping his toes and sipping his whiskey, humming gently along with the trumpet solos, this fond memory was abruptly brought forward whilst browsing in a local alternative record shop. I spotted "A Kind Blue" and instantly withdrew my wallet and the CD was mine. As readers you will probably like to know about the music is like! Well simply it is divine, some find Miles Davis's music too intense and muddled, but it takes either an uninterested listener to ignore this or a fascinated listener to understand and appreciate it, I hope that the buyer will lean towards the latter of these two opposites.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Beautiful and relaxing. An outstanding band.
Disadvantages: A little short.

...This 1969 Miles Davis effort was one of his first explorations of electric sounds, and it would have been understandable if he had stopped after this outstanding album. It is short, clocking in at only forty minutes, but what a forty minutes it is. The music has a great feeling of space and relaxation, and it has an ambient feel. This does not detract from the fine solo work that Miles, Wayne Shorter and the rest of the band, however. Tony Williams is in particularly fine form on the drum kit, and John McLaughlin's guitar work is sublime. If you have never experienced Miles' electric period before, this would be a perfect starting point, since it is groundbreaking without being overly challenging, like Bitches Brew.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful