5

Essential Miles Davis Albums

Given Miles Davis long and chameleonic

career, during which the prolific
trumpeter-composer-bandleader
reinvented himself several times over
the course of four decades, it would
be easy to pick five essential albums
from each sub-genre that he explored.
Nevertheless, below are five absolute
must-haves from his entire oeuvre.
1
Kind of Blue
(Columbia, 1959)
A perennial best-seller, this excursion into
modal jazz with Cannonball Adderley, John
Coltrane, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Jimmy
Cobb and Paul Chambers sets a relaxed,
mesmerizing mood that carries through
from the opener So What to the haunting
All Blues, the luminous Blue in Green and
the gentle closer Flamenco Sketches.
2
Miles Ahead
(Columbia, 1957)
The first of three classic orchestral
collaborations with composer-arranger Gil
Evans. Highlights include a jaunty take on
Dave Brubecks The Duke, a gorgeous
reading of Kurt Weils My Ship and Evans
moody Blues for Pablo (for Picasso).
3
Round About Midnight
(Columbia, 1957)
The best example of Davis great hard-
bop quintet featuring John Coltrane,
Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe
Jones has Davis playing a lovely muted
trumpet on Monks melancholy title track
and Bye Bye Blackbird, and the crew
swinging on ebullient romps through Charlie
Parkers Ah-Leu-Cha and Tadd Damerons
Tadds Delight.
4
Nefertiti
(Columbia, 1968)
The fourth album by Davis second classic
quintet (featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne
Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams)
has them collectively pushing the envelope
on adventurous fare like Shorters Fall,
Pinocchio and the title track, Williams
Hand Jive and Hancocks Riot and
Madness.
5
In a Silent Way
(Columbia, 1969)
Davis opened the door to a new world where
rock meets jazz on this seminal offering
that features guitarist John McLaughlin and
keyboardists Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea and
Herbie Hancock, all of whom would go on
to have a significant impact on the fusion
movement. More atmospheric, meditative and
less jarring that its more hyped successor,
Bitches Brew, this is transitional Miles
swimming in some new waters.
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