Miles Davis

Kind of Blue - classic modal jazz.
Bitches Brew - other end of the scale - free form jazz rock.
In a Silent Way
Jack Johnson - these two are in the middle somewhere - funky.
Sketches of Spain - delicate work with Gil Evans.

My picks of the bunch to get started.

i think these are two of the best :

Seven Steps to Heaven
Porgy and Bess

If nothing else: Kind of Blue

thank you at all for the introduction of the work of miles davis.

ft-o8-

I absolutely love Miles Davis, and the great bands he put together . . . . ."To examine his career is to examine the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s . . . ."

All great recommendations above. Kind of Blue is without doubt essential Miles, and a landmark jazz album. But, some of the music may be a little advanced for someone who wants an introduction into the music. Kind of like taking a foreign language course . . . . you would'nt want to start out with french 105 before first taking 101 . . . you COULD, it just would be difficult.

With that in mind my list would include:

Walkin
Cookin
Workin
Relaxin
Milestones
Round Midnight

The first four are a great introductiion to Miles with a great lineup of side musicians, and cookin performances! He covers most of the jazz standards/tunes, and is definitely easier music to digest.

"Milestones" & "Round About Midnight" follow in the same tradition and IMHO more sophisticated. Especially Round About Midnight where he is developing more of the "cool" approach. Definitely essential Miles albums.

I'm jealous, you will definitely enjoy discovering the many musical voices of Miles Davis.

Best,
Max

So;
I started my Milescollection with three differently Albums (correct word ? ):

Aura
Kind of Blue
and
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

A good place to start the list above.

I think it depends, do you like a certain period of his, or the whole range (a bit like Picasso).

For me:
Kind of Blue (the must have)
Bitches Brew
Birth of the Cool
Tutu

quote:

Originally posted by ft-o8:
So;
I started my Milescollection with three differently Albums (correct word ? ):

Aura
Kind of Blue
and
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

You started well. I would add Miles Smiles, Milestones and In a Silent Way. Look out for Highlights from the Plugged Nickel as well - super live disc, and the boxset version is even better.

For me, Bitches Brew is non essential.

My preference would be

Kind of Blue
Birth of Cool
Silent Way
Round About Midnight
Miles Ahead

Some of these are available in HMV for a couple of quid.

That's where I would be heading to buy them.

My favourite five, in descending order:

Silent Way
Bitches Brew
Kind of Blue
Jack Johnson
Porgy and Bess

quote:

Originally posted by ft-o8:
So;
I started my Milescollection with three differently Albums (correct word ? ):

Aura
Kind of Blue
and
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

A fantastic start. KoB and Ascenseur are the two I always recommend as a starting point. You might want to keep Bitches Brew for a little later on. All releases of the first Quintet are a good starting point.

Lots of great suggestions. That's the thing about Miles ... he changed directions several times in his career; there are so many great albums.

Here are a few no one has suggested yet:

1958 Miles
Miles in Berlin
Sorcerer
Nefertiti
Filles De Kilimanjaro
Miles at the Fillmore
The Cellar Door Sessions
We Want Miles
Amandala

Best,
Fred

I'm just listening to the We Want Milesalbum on Spotify at the moment. It's the kind of Miles sound I'm loving at the moment; locked into a groove, kind of electric. Stunning.

My next step today is Pangea.
It remind me on a concert with Branford Marsalis and the Grateful Dead in 1990or a Mickey Hart Planet Drum Session.
But it is heavier and stronger then the GDjamsessions.

It is a very other side of M.D.

If you like 'Kind of Blue' there is an album with Miles Davis on it that I would really recommend, although he is not the band leader.

Cannonball Adderley 'Somethin' Else'

It is very close in feel to 'Kind of Blue', and an excellent album anyway.

'In a Silent Way' is my favourite Miles Davis album, a laid back feel like 'Kind of Blue' but with electric instruments. 'Big Fun' is a good follow up if you like that, as it has material from the sessions between 'In a Silent Way' and 'Bitches Brew', where a lot of ground is covered.

One album which is also an oddity, but a good introduction to Miles Davis' 70's music, is 'Panthalassa' Bill Lazwell's edit/remix (not a drum machine/techno re-mix, but just editing the best bits from the sessions together). It covers sessions from the albums from 1968-74, including 'In s Silent Way', 'On The Corner' and 'Get Up With It'.

I would echo that 'Bitches Brew' is a difficult album to get into, but it is the start of the period that leads to 'Pangea'.

From the 70's I would echo the recommendation of 'Jack Johnson'.

There is not anything else like 'Aura', as it was not written by Miles Davis. His 80's material is difficult to make recommendations about. 'Tutu' and 'Amandla' are mostly not written by Miles Davis, and he is just the featured soloist, the live material has some excellent tracks, like 'Wrinkle' but without going into box sets there is not a definitive recording. 'Decoy' is my favourite 80's album, but not a great album.

If you get really into Miles Davis, the set of eight box sets from Columbia, the additional three live box sets are beautifully put together, but some are now deleted and getting expensive, and you might end up wanting the original editions in the square boxes, all of which is a lot of money. Money well spent though, and a bit away from your question about an introduction.

I'd recommend

Kind of Blue (this is the one you HAVE to have - 50 years old this year)

From the 1940s
Birth of The Cool

From the 50s
Milestones
Miles Ahead
Any of Cookin', Workin', Steamin', Relaxin'
Porgy & Bess

From the 60s
ESP
Bitches Brew
In A Silent Way

From the 70s (some of this stuff is really - and I mean REALLY - out there but still brilliant)
On The Corner
Jack Johnson
Pangea
Agharta
Dark Magus
Get Up With It

IMO, most of the stuff he did after '75 isn't really worth the effort, it's all terrible Marcus Miller slap bass, synths and cover versions of Cyndi Lauper and Nic Kershaw numbers. Miles barely plays.

quote:

IMO, most of the stuff he did after '75 isn't really worth the effort, it's all terrible Marcus Miller slap bass, synths and cover versions of Cyndi Lauper and Nic Kershaw numbers. Miles barely plays.

Perhaps these are the ones I should get?

If you're a fan of Kind of Blue then the 50th box set is a nice thing to pick up...Lots of extras, photographs, CD, DVD and some nice 180gms blue vinyl - which I should purchase a LP12 for one day !

Okeyh;
my next step to the Roots of Jazz today:
A love supreme |John Coltrane.

quote:

Originally posted by ft-o8:
Okeyh;

my next step to the Roots of Jazz today:
A love supreme |John Coltrane.

A great, essential masterpiece.

More like flowering branches of jazz than roots, though.

For some Coltrane roots try Giant Steps.

Best,
Fred

Original Album Classics (5CD box) (Round Midnight/Milestones/58 Sessions/Miles Ahead/Porgy & Bess)

£12 for the set .

The album I found by Miles that I really like a lot is In A Silent Way, but I don't have the knowledge of his work of many on the forum

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin-W:

IMO, most of the stuff he did after '75 isn't really worth the effort, it's all terrible Marcus Miller slap bass, synths and cover versions of Cyndi Lauper and Nic Kershaw numbers. Miles barely plays.

Slap bass in and of itself is terrible, or Miller's execution of slap? Same with synths ... terrible, ipso facto, or just Miller's use?

In any case, I'm a fan of tasteful slap/funk bass used judiciously, and Miller qualifies. Same with synths ... they're instruments, and as such they're tools that can be used for good or harm, all depends on the handler. Miller uses them for good.

That said, I'm not a huge fan of Miles' Tutu -- it's fine, even quite good at times, but doesn't thrill me. However, its followup, Amandala, is one of Miles' best, and probably his best studio post-hiatus album. And no Cyndi Lauper songs.

I also love We Want Miles, another post-hiatus work ... burning live album with killing Hendrix-influenced rock-jazz guitar by Mike Stern and the great Al Foster on drums.

Best,
Fred

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

Original Album Classics (5CD box) (Round Midnight/Milestones/58 Sessions/Miles Ahead/Porgy & Bess)

£12 for the set .

The album I found by Miles that I really like a lot is In A Silent Way, but I don't have the knowledge of his work of many on the forum

You can't go wrong with that 5 CD set for that price ... wow, less than $17US ... fantastic! These are all stellar, classic albums, and anyone who doesn't have them I'd urge you to snap this up.

Also, In A Silent Way, which many have mentioned here, is one of Miles' best ... a groundbreaking album.

Best,
Fred

Davis is OK as a starter. If you want to move on from there go Coltrane - Mingus- Coleman - Shepp - Cherry - Sun Ra - Art Ensemble of Chicago - Anthony Braxton.

quote:

Originally posted by willem:
Davis is OK as a starter. If you want to move on from there go Coltrane - Mingus- Coleman - Shepp - Cherry - Sun Ra - Art Ensemble of Chicago - Anthony Braxton.

I'm not sure what is meant by "Davis is OK as a starter" ... sounds kind of indifferent to me, perhaps not what was intended, though. Miles Davis is nothing less than one of the bona fide cornerstones of jazz.

The suggestions made here are all worthy, especially John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and Ornette Coleman, all of whom are equally bona fide cornerstones of jazz.

But just to give fair notice, with the exception of Mingus and early Coltrane, this list leans heavily toward the avant garde, which, of course, is fine ... nothing wrong with that in itself, but does not necessarily give a novice listener an overview of the foundation upon which the avant garde builds, and from which it substantially departs.

Best,
Fred