Album Reviews

This mostly fabulous sounding 10 LP set cut almost exclusively from original analog master tapes puts into focus a so-called “in between” period for Miles: between the end of the Kind of Blue era and the beginning of the Miles/Shorter/Hancock/Carter/Williams quintet era chronicled on Mosaic's The Complete Studio Recordings of The Miles Davis Quintet 1965-1968 (Mosaic MQ 10-177).

This set finds Miles in transition with the Kelly/Chambers/Cobb rhythm section gone and a changing cast of players, though the material, mostly recorded live, will be familiar to even casual Davis fans.

The albums covered include highs such as the bi-coastal Seven Steps to Heaven, and lows like Quiet Nights a piece of Bossa Nova “product” cobbling together an incomplete orchestral collaboration with Gil Evans and material from the Los Angeles session, part of which became Seven Steps…. But in between are the recordings that introduced the young Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams to Davis' entourage.

Much of this compilation of previously issued and never released material is taken from (well recorded) live recordings, some from radio broadcasts produced in monaural. However, while some has previously been issued in pieces (Miles Davis in Europe), here we get the full June, 27th, 1963 concert recording of the group at the Antibes festival.

Since this is a “completist” compilation, there are multiple unreleased takes and false starts along with live material originally issued only in Germany and Japan in 1969 and not in America until 1983.

This was a confusing period for fans of Davis's recorded output. Finally here, we get it all chronologically and in genuine mono where appropriate.

We also get the thorough Mosaic annotation, including Bob Blumenthal's appreciative, scholarly and illuminating sessionography, wonderful photos and an outstanding discography.

These limited edition Mosaic sets always become collector's items and this one will not be an exception. You can listen casually or you can read along with the annotation, track by track, and receive an education along with the hours of listening pleasure.

Sell those CDs you never listen to and get this along with the other Mosaic Davis albums still available on vinyl. When they're gone and you don't have them, you'll walk around muttering to yourself “What was I thinking?” That's a promise.