Durium Posted March 4, 2008 Report Posted March 4, 2008 MILES DAVIS Cut the birthday cake........ Milestones - 50 Keep swinging Durium Quote
AndrewHill Posted March 4, 2008 Report Posted March 4, 2008 Funny, I was going to reach for this one yesterday and ended up grabbing Donald Byrd's 'Byrd in Flight.' This is a great album with 'Milestones' probably being one of my favorites tunes from this period. The whole band is on the case with Philly Joe especially crackling throughout. The remastering by Columbia/Legacy is quite excellent IMO. Quote
Mark Stryker Posted March 4, 2008 Report Posted March 4, 2008 "That's the definitive jazz album. If you want to know what jazz is, listen to that album. That has all you'd ever want to hear. It embodies the sprit of everyone who plays jazz." -- Tony Williams. FWIW, " Milestones" has long been one of my two favorite records of all time, the other being Sonny Rollins' "A Night at the Village Vanguard." I play "Milestones" way more than "Kind of Blue" and I wonder if others do too. The latter may be the more important and influential record historically but "Milestones" is a lot more fun and if I could only have one, there's no question which one I'd choose. If "Milestones" turns 50 this year, then "Kind of Blue" turns 50 next year -- get ready for the onslaught of anniversary stories. Ugh. 'Course, I'll probably end up writing one myself. Sigh. Anniversaries are like crack to journalists. Can't break the habit. Quote
AndrewHill Posted March 4, 2008 Report Posted March 4, 2008 "Kind of Blue" turns 50 next year -- get ready for the onslaught of anniversary stories. Don't forget the obligatory reissue of the Columbia/Legacy repackaging of the reissue of the 50th anniversary of Kind of Blue reissue issue. Quote
BillF Posted March 4, 2008 Report Posted March 4, 2008 (edited) I remember my reaction to Milestones when I first heard it in about 1959. Being used to Bird-style saxophone, I just couldn't take Coltrane's "sheets of sound" (and Adderley was emulating them to a certain extent, too). "Why does Miles surround himself with these guys?" I asked! Fortunately, within weeks the new sound had "clicked" with me and the album was soon in my collection, where it still gets regular airings. The popularity of this music in those days can be judged by the fact that "Straight No Chaser" from the album could be played on a jukebox at my university in about 1962. Edited March 5, 2008 by BillF Quote
Guest bluenote82 Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 "Milestones" was a pretty decent jazz record. I thought the title track obviously was classic Miles, but I was just listening to "Seven Steps To Heaven" the other night and I have to say I like it alot better than "Milestones." I'm not sure why, but I thought the tunes were better. I also like George Coleman playing with Miles more so than Coltrane or Adderley. I think the title track from "Seven Steps..." had one of the hottest Miles solos he ever recorded. To anyone who thinks Miles couldn't play is out of their mind! Quote
Guest bluenote82 Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 Funny, I was going to reach for this one yesterday and ended up grabbing Donald Byrd's 'Byrd in Flight.' This is a great album with 'Milestones' probably being one of my favorites tunes from this period. The whole band is on the case with Philly Joe especially crackling throughout. The remastering by Columbia/Legacy is quite excellent IMO. "Byrd In Flight" is excellent! Fantastic record! Quote
porcy62 Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 I have it on the Mosaic vinyl box set. Often I got the feeling that al these big sets missed the impact of the single record in the music history. One of the reasons because I love original pressings instead of reissues. An original pressing has the 'climax' of 'here' and 'now'. You put the LP on the TT and say: Wow! This was something at times! I know, I know, some of you, jazz musicians and historians, has the skills to get it from a downloaded album. I need the 'real thing', I am a caveman: I have to touch and sniff and handle those old records. Quote
AndrewHill Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 I have it on the Mosaic vinyl box set. Often I got the feeling that al these big sets missed the impact of the single record in the music history. One of the reasons because I love original pressings instead of reissues. An original pressing has the 'climax' of 'here' and 'now'. You put the LP on the TT and say: Wow! This was something at times! I know, I know, some of you, jazz musicians and historians, has the skills to get it from a downloaded album. I need the 'real thing', I am a caveman: I have to touch and sniff and handle those old records. I wish I was older where I could've been there buying these records as they came out. I can totally get into that feeling of holding the record in your hands and smelling the dust jacket...ahhhhhh. I guess the closest I can get is to buy the single disks and do the same thing with a cd player. I never did get into the ipod/emusic scene. Quote
HolyStitt Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 I have it on the Mosaic vinyl box set. Often I got the feeling that al these big sets missed the impact of the single record in the music history. One of the reasons because I love original pressings instead of reissues. An original pressing has the 'climax' of 'here' and 'now'. You put the LP on the TT and say: Wow! This was something at times! I know, I know, some of you, jazz musicians and historians, has the skills to get it from a downloaded album. I need the 'real thing', I am a caveman: I have to touch and sniff and handle those old records. I think I know exactly what you are saying from the perspective of the Complete Columbia sets. For years the Gil Evans set never really clicked for me until I pulled all of the original LP tracks off for CDr's to listen to separate from the set. Now I have become accustomed to all of the music as it was released and I have learned to appreciate and love it! Quote
jazzbo Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 There are moments on this album that are as good as it gets! Quote
clifford_thornton Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 MILES DAVIS Cut the birthday cake........ Milestones - 50 Keep swinging Durium Public domain! Quote
Big Al Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 I have it on the Mosaic vinyl box set. Often I got the feeling that al these big sets missed the impact of the single record in the music history. One of the reasons because I love original pressings instead of reissues. An original pressing has the 'climax' of 'here' and 'now'. You put the LP on the TT and say: Wow! This was something at times! I know, I know, some of you, jazz musicians and historians, has the skills to get it from a downloaded album. I need the 'real thing', I am a caveman: I have to touch and sniff and handle those old records. I wish I was older where I could've been there buying these records as they came out. I can totally get into that feeling of holding the record in your hands and smelling the dust jacket...ahhhhhh. Right there with ya, brother! Quote
Free For All Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 One of my favorite Miles of all. One of my first posts here was about Red Garland playing a harmonized transcription of a Miles solo (w/Bird on Now's The Time) during his solo on Straight No Chaser. I even love the funky reverb. Quote
bertrand Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 My understanding is that there is no title track on this record. The fourth tune is actually called 'Miles', but at some point it got rechristened and the name has stuck ever since, even up to the latest CD incarnation. Bertrand. Quote
sidewinder Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 "Milestones" was a pretty decent jazz record. I An understatement ! Quote
sidewinder Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 There are moments on this album that are as good as it gets! Yes jazzbo, I totally agree. The BBC did a documentary on 60s advertising which was broadcast this week as part of a 'Mad Men' season (to introduce the first showing of the drama here) and excerpts from 'Milestones' were all over the soundtrack. Particularly Cannonball's alto breaks. Still remains such a fresh and invigourating record that one. I tend to play it on a 50s Dutch Philips vinyl, as well as the Mosaic set (and I agree with porcy that sometimes its good to play the original LP to get the impact of the original programming). Quote
BillF Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 Such a record of its time in so many ways - right down to that fifties modernist chair Miles is sitting on in the cover photo! Quote
Big Al Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 Favorite track has to be "Sid's Ahead" where Miles plays piano and trumpet. Quote
Guest bluenote82 Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 I like how on "Billy Boy" Miles and co. laid back on that tune and let Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones cut loose. Miles not only was an outstanding player, but he was a gracious bandleader as well. Quote
jazzbo Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 I like how on "Billy Boy" Miles and co. laid back on that tune and let Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones cut loose. Miles not only was an outstanding player, but he was a gracious bandleader as well. Maybe it was just filler. Maybe it was just the producer's idea. Not sure either way. Definitely a nice tip of the hat to the influence and artistry of Ahmad Jamal. Quote
jazzbo Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 Favorite track has to be "Sid's Ahead" where Miles plays piano and trumpet. You know, I think that's my favorite track too. Quote
AndrewHill Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 All this talk is getting me in the mood for Miles again, which hasn't been for a long, long time. Thanks for starting this thread! Quote
Guest bluenote82 Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 (edited) I like how on "Billy Boy" Miles and co. laid back on that tune and let Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones cut loose. Miles not only was an outstanding player, but he was a gracious bandleader as well. Maybe it was just filler. Maybe it was just the producer's idea. Not sure either way. Definitely a nice tip of the hat to the influence and artistry of Ahmad Jamal. ...or maybe it was a tip of the hat to the influence and artistry of Red Garland, I don't really care what anybody says, Red Garland was a damn fine pianist. Edited March 5, 2008 by bluenote82 Quote
GregK Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 All this talk is getting me in the mood for Miles again, which hasn't been for a long, long time. Thanks for starting this thread! I've been on a big Miles kick from Birth of the Cool to Pangaea since I bought the Downbeat Miles David reader, the recent Richard Cook tome, and the Prestige Quintet box set in December. I never get tired of any of this music Quote
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