Ok, so this presents a bit of a connundrum, just like the John Coltrane post a few months ago.  I have a CD compilation of Miles Davis recordings on Prestige (that rocks), and it’s packaged like an LP.  So, I listened to it.

• Chronicles: The Complete Prestige Recordings, 1951-56 – Holy crap, that’s amazing.
• United Artists Miles Davis – This, I think, is the “Complete” Miles Davis on Blue Note records, and it’s shredding.  I guess this is the era of quoting.  On “The Leap,” Miles quoted “Jeepers, Creepers”…twice, and Horace Silver quoted “Pop, Goes the Weasel.”  I think “Tempus Fugit” is my new favorite song.  I say that, even with the diminished cliche that Miles played on the Alternate Take!  JJ Johnson also quoted on “Tempus Fugit” (alt. take), but I can’t quire remember the name of the tune.  It’s a famous tango or something.  On “Dear Old Stockholm,” Miles quotes “Humoresque” by Dvorak.  It’s also interesting to hear this version of “It Never Entered My Mind,” which so beautifully predicts the Prestige version (which is perfection, personified).  Man, this record is great.  It’s loaded up with great playing, of course, but some of these arrangements are fantastic!
• Blue Moods – This is a Debut label record, so it’s really a Charles Mingus record.  It’s a nice record, and lives up to its title.  Most surprising, I suppose, is the drummer – Elvin Jones in 1955!
• Kind of Blue – Man, this is the greatest record of all time. Everyone needs to own this, and probably multiple copies!  This is Sgt. Pepper, Pet Sounds, Freak Out, Led Zeppelin IV, Inner Visions, Talking Book, and Beethoven’s 9th symphony level.  And better than some of those!  Listening to this on vinyl makes it even more delicious.  This is a many-course meal at a fine restaurant in Milano* with all the vino roso you can stand and a matching grappa to finish!  Best record ever.  Seriously.  Perfect.
• In Person: Friday Night at the Blackhawk – This comes from the No-Coltrane period, and stars Hank Mobley on tenor.  What a great record!  Mobley sounds fantastic (his Soul Station is a “must own”), but Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb are just unbelievable…
• In Person: Saturday Night at the Blackhawk – Another smash from the Blackhawk.  See above.  Ok, another quote, although this one seems accidental.  On “If I Were a Bell,” Miles quotes “I Get a Kick Out of You.”
• Miles Davis At Carnegie Hall – This would be a tricky one to pull off.  The studio recordings – this is the Miles Davis/Gil Evans material – were so amazing that any flub, live, stands out like a sore thumb.
• Live Miles: More Music from the Legendary Carnegie Hall Concert – Yeah, man.  I mean, that’s just amazing.
• In A Silent Way – Brace yourselves, this ride is going to be a doosey.  I love this record, and it opens the door to a completely new direction in music.  That statement will be really interesting in a few records.
• Miles Davis at Fillmore – Shazam!  Man, this is slammin’…but not as slammin’ as…
• Live Evil – I love this totally slammin’ record.  It’s one of the first electric-era LPs I ever heard.  In fact, I might have heard it before Bitches Brew, but that’s digging pretty far back into my middle-aged mind.  But, man, this record is ridiculous.
• Get Up With It – A more “commercial” record that the previous on my listening journey, but that doesn’t mean it’s missing anything.  “He Loved Him Madly” has one of the most incredible builds (increasing tension, density, groove, etc.) ever – seriously!  It begins with practically nothing and ends sizzlin’.  Plus, Miles plays organ on this record, which is pretty interesting, and predicts some of his ’80s records.  “Rated X” predicts drum ‘n bass.  This is another one of those highly edited Teo Macero records, and what I like about this one, especially, is the leitmotif approach he took.  Honky Tonk and a 12/8 shuffle – in particular – just keep coming back, creating continuity.  If I were to harp on one difference in opinion, I’d pick the double time congas and percussion, which – in drops – is great.  But it’s so constant, I find it overpowering.  But then again, I’m not Miles or Teo, and I wasn’t on the date in 1975 because – among other reasons – I was 4 years old.  Great record.  Seriously.
• Water Babies – In the midst of all this electric period Miles, it’s so refreshing to hear the 60s quintet with their “acoustic” abstractions.  Miles, with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams…well, that’s probably my favorite band, ever.  This record has unreleased stuff from their tenure, which is the era that opens the electric instruments door.  Absolutely great, and again, refreshing.
• Directions – A two-fer (that’s the old way of saying two LPs in one package – it used to be a big deal) of unreleased material.  Some of it dates back to the Gil Evans recordings, some from the early 60s, but much of it fills in that transitional period from the Water Babies/ESP/Sorcerer quintet (greatest band ever) until Electric Miles.  Just because it’s unreleased (until the 70s) doesn’t mean it isn’t amazing.  Circle in the Round is like that, too.  Unreleased and amazing.
• The Man with the Horn – The “come back” album; Miles, back from retirement.  This is also notable because of the Mike Stern solo on “Fat Time,” which is freakishly great.  Also notable – for me – because it has Marcus Miller on it, and I love Marcus Miller’s bass playing.  Ugh.  Ok, I can’t let this go.  “Aida” is a bit Maynard for my taste, and Miles just doesn’t sound good on that track at all.  And the bad intonation on that track would never have happened on a Miles record in the 50s.
• You’re Under Arrest – I loved this record when I was a kid.  Darryl Jones!  Sting!  John Scofield!  And Miles!  Miles sounds great on this record – he sounds like Miles, not like the guy on Man With the Horn.  Side two is like a later Pink Floyd record.  Ok, the truth is that, even though I really like this album, I love later recordings in this period, especially Tutu, and even more, Amandla.
• Star People – Confessions of a Miles Davis fan: I never really checked this album out.  I got it about 10 years ago, and listened to it a couple of times, thought, “Ok, I get it.  Nice.  Groovy.  Tons of energy.  All good.  Next.”  I still feel that way, although “It Gets Better” and “Speak” are especially fantastic.

Ok, so that’s the Miles Davis extravaganza!  I have TONS of CDs, too.  Someday I’ll have to do the same project I’m doing with LPs, but with CDs.

Best, R.

*I’m singling out Milano because one of the best meals of my life was there.  Other amazing meals were found in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, a small town outside of Bologna, Italy (that I can’t remember the name of), Indian Food in Helsinki (true!), and at the Nalbandian’s house in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  But wait, there’s more!  Most musicians remember gigs on the road because of things like food and hotels.  I remember loving Guimaraes, Portugal and Basel, Switzerland for those reasons, too.  I’m sure there are dozens that I haven’t listed here.  And the Milano meal wasn’t the time a waitress dumped an entire plate of pasta on my head.