A Must Read For Those Who Love Miles Davis
589923
This book is especially useful for musicians seeking some measure of understanding in the creative process and evolution of America's greatest cultural contribution to the world.  The focus is on, in my opinion, the most intriguingly creative, consistently adventurous, and intrepid quintet Miles ever engaged in.

To read about the mechanics of creative processes in each of these most amazing musicians and how they coalesce into a single ever-changing musical entity with Miles navigating their journey into uncharted zones is insightful enough, but to then play the various tunes in the background or looped for closer comparison as you read about those tunes is an adventure.

It is technical and challenging to get through but, if you are really interested in getting inside the heads of these true geniuses, this is as close as it gets.  It is a study in how five dynamic leaders, in their own rights, converged to make music history and magic that transcends time and space.  I'm glad somebody took the time and effort to shine a light on this stellar quintet and the years they shone in the studio and in live performances during Miles Davis's incredible career!
1928236
This was actually the first Miles Davis cd I purchased and by far the best that I have in my collection. Freddie Freeloader is perhaps the most impressive track. A definite must for any jazz aficinado!
1860314
As one of two magnificent albums that Miles Davis have made for Blue Note
  Records between 1952 and 1954, this album would raise the bar in exhilarating
  music action and heart pounding swing right upon its official release in 1953 as
  showcases some of Miles best executed trumpet playing which he had to offer.
  Miles Davis, Volume 1 feature two solid band line-ups where the first half starts
  with a sextet that consists of master jazz trombonist J.J. Johnson on trombone,
  bassist Oscar Pettiford, the titanic drums of Kenny Clarke and rising young alto
  saxophonist Jackie McLean, while the other half consist of a quartet that would
  includes pianist- composer Horace Silver, session bassist Percy Heath and Art
  Blakey on the drums, as the chemistry made this explosive masterpiece a first-
  rate piece de resistance.  Beginning on the vigorous note with Stan Getz Dear
  Old Stockholm, the velocity-driven track set proceed with other classic cuts like
  Chance It, Donna, Take Off, Lazy Susan and The Leap, as well as exhilarating
  versions of classic standards, like Dizzy Gillespies Woody N You, Yesterdays
  and Thelonious Monks Well, You Neednt It before ending on a relaxing lyrical
  with It Never Entered My Mind (where on this latter track he gets to put a mute
  on his trumpet).  So with a fresh set of alternate takes added with equal billing,
  what is truly fascinating about Miles Davis, Volume 1 is how Miles would get to
  showcase his most personal and clear-sighted statements as he performs with
  intense restrain and beyond the cool medium to create this timeless testament.
378666
This book, written by Italian jazz pianist, Enrico Pieranunzi, is very interesting and enlightening.  He divides the book by tunes that Bill wrote and discusses things that were happening in Bill's life that may have contributed to the various compositions.
  Enrico shows a sensitivity to Bill's music and life and speaks knowledgably about the melodies, harmonies, style, etc. of Bill Evans.  This book has given me insights that I have not found in other biographies of Bill Evans and has deepened my understanding and interpretation of the songs I sing that were written by Bill.  I think this book would be a valuable asset to anyone, pianist or otherwise, who is a fan/student of Bill Evans.
2262878
It is a wonderful collection that should be purchased by many other than just those who are devotees of Miles Davis.
3419835
This would be my favorite CD of Miles' work if Kind of Blue did not exist. The funky rich brasses behind Miles that Gil Evans puts down are impeccable. What a rich background for My Ship and Summertime. Could not get these out of my head after hearing them. Miles is a complex character and who would put Evans and Miles together, but it is magic.
4751935
I have dozens of Miles Davis' CDs including those from the two "great quintet" periods (one with Coltrane, the other with Shorter). This live set doesn't belong to any of them. However, I confess this is my most favorite of all. Miles is jumpy and inventive. Mobley is soulful and beautifully relaxed. The rhythm section is tight and full of spices. I enjoyed this Blackhawk live (both CDs) even more than Kind of Blue or 'Round Midnight. Listen without prejudice and it will bring a smile on your face.
356594
MILESTONES was both the musical and chronological bridge between trumpeter Miles Davis' great mid-fifties quintet (John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums), with its postbop sensibilities and emphasis on fresh interpretations of standard material, and the more personalized and transcendent vision Davis would realize so brilliantly on his next album, KIND OF BLUE. By augmenting the quintet with Cannonball Adderley's matchless alto saxophone chops, Miles added tonal variety to a signature sound which, for all its beauty, had started to grow a bit predictable; and by redirecting his own compositional bent from harmonic to modal centers he literally wrote an entire new chapter in jazz history. All of this is excitingly evident on this crucial 1958 recording.
  Taking numbers by Thelonious Monk ("Straight No Chaser"), Jackie McLean ("Dr. Jekyll") and John Lewis ("Two Bass Hit") on rides which even the composers themselves could never have envisioned, Davis and Company here set a new standard for small group improvisation. If anyone still had any doubts, MILESTONES certainly announced that the bebop era was over. Further leavening the proceedings, a hornless workout on "Billy Boy" allows Davis' excellent rhythm section (often obscured by the playing and reputations of this legendary front line) to sing and shine on its own while the leader takes a breather. But it's the two original compositions herein - "Sid's Ahead" and even more so the title track - which really point the way forward. The former is an epic-length jam balancing control and freedom in a manner almost unprecedented, with improvisational statements of consummate logic effectively becoming the structure of the piece over its thirteen minutes and change. "Milestones" itself is a sort of first stab at KIND OF BLUE, and could easily have fit on that album were it a bit lengthier - as it would subsequently become in concert. Miles' lightheartedly reflective melody is now a classic, and the permutations through which he and his band take it proclaim the advent of a powerful new approach to the genre. Great stuff, and a definite must-have for any serious jazz enthusiast!
1269982
Somehow my wife stumbled upon this and gave it to me as a gift. It soon became one of my favorite jazz albums of all time.

When I heard Indian rhythms and idioms fused with familiar Miles Davis compositions, what immediately struck me was: "Wow, those two forms fit together PERFECTLY, it's almost as though Miles was listening to Indian music when he wrote those songs." Wouldn't be a bit surprised if he was.

It's an experience of bringing two different parts of your brain together that had never made contact before.

This CD slowly grew on me and I found myself listening to it again and again - and still do.

The other thing I love about this CD is the recording. Absolutely first class. On a great sound system, this CD rocks.

I just had to throw my congratulations on the pile. Outstanding.
908805
Mr Duke with this Remembrance for Miles Davis needs a presence in the next Cd by Mr Duke!  A CD, very nicely put together.  A strong Revival  to George Duke, ways that take me back to his "roots"!  Thank you Mr George Duke!  very impressive with great jazz and Rhythm work that will keep me coming back to George Duke!

Thank you Mr Duke,

Great driving music along with the "Cut" to Miles Davis makes my day!
3825605
While Rob writes his own music, both classical and jazz, the group specializes in tunes you'll recognize and enjoy. This is a highly entertaining CD that you can listen to anywhere and play for people who steer away from Miles Davis.
1048138
This is my favorite jazz recording and this issue is all I expected.  I'm not interested in past recordings - I'm very happy with this one.  I recocimmned it to all Jaz and Miles Davis fans.
3004293
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-researched work about one of my favorite bands. Davis covers so many events that it becomes a must to return and read certain chapters that are packed with great detail regarding the band's incredible performances. No matter how chaotic things became in the beginning, middle and the end, the artistry remained in top form. An excellent read, no doubt.
2883522
I stumbled onto this soundtrack while listening to KKJZ one Saturday morning. I have always been a fan of Miles Davis, but this is so different. His horn is so plaintive throughout this soundtrack. It's almost haunting. The work of Marcus Miller is brilliant. This has become a treasure in my CD collection.
276102
Already signed to his long time record contract with Columbia Records, Miles
  Davis formed his innovative quintet that consisted of John Coltrane on the tenor
  saxophone (who became a jazz star in his own right), Red Garland at the piano,
  Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums as they demonstrated a
  cool and sophisticated approach performed with style and endurance. Released
  in 1957, Cookin With The Miles Davis Quintet is the first installment from a four
  album series that were pulled from a pair of mammoth recording sessions which
  were held between May and October of 1956, where on this one they showcase
  a separate combination of robust mood stylings and strenuous swing that found
  an incentive to play against the odds while reaching new heights because of the
  music environment Miles created in choosing a few good musicians. Starting on
  the opening track My Funny Valentine, the track set then proceed with the Miles
  Davis-Red Garland classic Blues By Five, a exuberant version on Sonny Rollins
  Airegin, the original Miles Davis chestnut hit Tune Up and Benny Carters When
  Lights Are Low.  Hailed as one of the greatest combos in jazz history, what also
  makes the arrangements from The Miles Davis Quintet is the way Miles effectiv-
  ely captures the single-take urgency of a concert setting and brings into a studio
  setting as the dynamic rhythms laid down by Jones and Chambers fuels the fast
  and furious aggression right alongside Garlands swinging pulse and alchemical
  brass interplay which made Cookin With The Miles Davis Quintet a surprise hit.
208280
In order to appreciate the intensity and the professional expertise of a clarinetist like Artie Shaw, this book is a must read.  The drive and the passion that this famous musician dedicated to arriving at the "perfect" sound is worth noting.  His musical compositions during the Big Band era were notable, particularly since they were unusual for that time.  Other big band leaders became famous, but they weren't as compulsive as he was.  Artie Shaw's life was a mixture of anger, shame, pride, stubborness, egotistical competitiveness, social embattlements, and creativity. For such a handsome and talented man, tragic were his failed marriages to famous women (e.g., Lana Turner and Ave Gardiner). His amorous relationships with his chosen women were simultaneously impulisve and depressing.  Tom Nolan wrote about a musican who should never be forgotten.  My parents, who were enthralled with his music during their youth, introduced me to his music, which they often played on the record player.
3249989
Great book.  I also recently read Miles' autobiography and Wayne Shorter's biography.  Reading the three books together created three very meaningful perspectives on a number of common events in Jazz history.