Miles Davis's Miles Ahead: Miles Davis +19 for Columbia is one of jazz's most exquisite orchestral albums. Recorded in May and August of 1957, the LP was arranged by Gil Evans, who, with Davis, selected nine jazz songs plus an Evans-Davis original and dressed them up in a modernist, Thornhillian style.
The result is spectacular. Davis on flugelhorn is gentle and at times even meek as Evans's orchestrations descend on him like a violet mist. It's pure musical poetry.
One should note that Evans and Davis were together on Davis's Birth of the Cool recording sessions in 1949 and 1950. In some ways, Miles Ahead is an expanded articulation of the airy feel on those earlier nonet recordings.
Back in 2009, I posted on the inspiration for each song on Miles Ahead (go here). It's fun to listen to the originals on YouTube, so you can hear how Evans dressed them up.
The Miles Ahead personnel: Miles Davis (flghn); Bernie Glow (lead tp); John Carisi, Taft Jordan, Louis Mucci and Ernie Royal (tp); Joe Bennett, Jimmy Cleveland and Frank Rehak (tb); Tom Mitchell (bass tb); Jim Buffington, Tony Miranda and Willie Ruff (Fr hn); Bill Barber (tuba); Lee Konitz (as); Danny Bank (bass cl); Sid Cooper and Romeo Penque (fl,cl); Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (d); Wynton Kelly (p) and Gil Evans (arr,conductor).
The tracks, with their composers...
- Springsville (John Carisi)
- The Maids of Cadiz (Léo Delibes)
- The Duke (Dave Brubeck)
- My Ship (Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin)
- Miles Ahead (Davis, Evans)
- Blues for Pablo (Evans)
- New Rhumba (Ahmad Jamal)
- Medley Pt. 1: The Meaning of the Blues (Bobby Troup, Leah Worth)
- Medley Pt. 2: Lament (J. J. Johnson)
- I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone but You) (Harold Spina, Jack Elliot)
Here's the complete Miles Ahead: Miles Davis +19 without ad interruptions...
Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:
- Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
- Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
- Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
- Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
- Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
- Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
- Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
- Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
- Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
- Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
- Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
- Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
- Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
- Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
- Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
- Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
- Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
- Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
- Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
- Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
- Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
- Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
- Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
- Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
- Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
- Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
- Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
- Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
- Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
- Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
- Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
- Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
- Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
- Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
- Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
- Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
- Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
- Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
- Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
- Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
- Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
- Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
- Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
- Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
- Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
- Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
- Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
- Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
- Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
- Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
- Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
- Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
- Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
- Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
- Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.
- Elmo Hope: Complete Trios, 1953-1966, go here.
- Buddy Collette: Man of Many Parts, go here.
- The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet, go here.
- Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy, go here.
- The Return of Art Pepper, go here.
- Benny Golson and the Philadelphians, go here.
- Moacir Santos: Coisas, go here.
- Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: Lock, the Fox, go here.
- Tony Bennett: The Movie Song Album, go here.
- Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Consummation, go here.
- James Moody: Return From Overbrook, go here.
- Barry Galbraith: Guitar and the Wind, go here.
- Count Basie: With Quincy Jones and Neal Hefti, go here.
- Johnny Richards: Walk Softly, Run Wild!, go here.
- Dave Pike: Bossa Nova Carnival, go here.
- Clare Fischer: Só Danço Samba, go here.
- Reggie Johnson: First Edition, go here.
- John Graas: French Horn Jazz, go here.
- Eddie Lockjaw Davis & Johnny Griffin: Tough Tenor Favorites, go here.
- Bill Perkins: Bossa Nova With Strings Attached, go here.
- Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, go here.
- Pepper Adams Quintet, go here.
- Sonny Rollins Plus 4, go here.
- Coleman Hawkins: Desafinado, go here.
- Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays, go here.
- Paul Quinichette: Moods, go here.
- Jimmy Forrest: Forrest Fire!, go here.
- Brazilian Jazz Quartet: Coffee and Jazz, go here.
- Art Blakey!!! Jazz Messengers!!!, go here.
- Sidney Bechet/Martial Solal, go here.
- John Carisi: The New Jazz Sound Of "Show Boat," go here.
- The Marty Paich Quartet, Featuring Art Pepper, go here.
- João Gilberto, 1998, go here.
- Bobby Timmons: Soul Time, go here.
- Gerry Mulligan: Jeru, go here.
- Ray Bryant: Alone With the Blues, go here.
- Leon Spencer Jr.: Bad Walking Woman, go here.
- Jimmy McGriff: Step 1, go here.
- Johnny "Hammond" Smith: Breakout, go here.
- Oliver Nelson: Taking Care of Business, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Americans in Paris, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Tune-Up!, go here.
- Herbie Mann: Yardbird Suite, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Twilight Time, go here.
- Lou Levy Quartet: Jazz in Four Colors, go here.
- Johnny Alf: Rapaz de Bem, go here.
- Hank Mobley: Poppin', go here.
- Barney Kessel: Kessel's Kit, go here.
- Larry Young: Into Somethin', go here.
- Henry Mancini: The Jazz Sound From Peter Gunn, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Night Crawler, go here.
- Maynard Ferguson: Around the Horn, go here.
- Frank Rosolino: Franky Speaking!, go here.
- Ben Webster: King of the Tenors, go here.
- Kenny Dorham: Una Mas, go here.
- Gigi Gryce: Nica's Tempo, go here.
- Charlie Parker With Strings: The Master Takes, go here.
- The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr., go here.
- The Complete Chet Baker Sings, go here.
- Shorty Rogers Courts the Count, go here.
