Miles Davis

[DrJ]

Brad - I've only hesitated to pick up that Miles Prestige box due to concerns about the remastering - now quite long in the tooth by CD standards.

How's the sound quality?

[Free For All]

So many great moments - impossible to choose one favorite program from these.

I will say that one could learn just about everything one needs to know about the art of chordal accompaniment in hard bop jazz by closely studying Red Garland's playing on "If I Were a Bell." I don't even play piano, but even a dumb weekend guitarist like me can recognize the genius he poured all over that one. Not to mention Coltrane's entry on his solo in the same tune, one of those moments that makes life worth living. Hmmm, the more I talk about this...maybe RELAXIN would be my pick after all, for this one and a few other sublime treatments like their take on "Oleo."

That reminded me of another all-time greatest musical chill-inducing moment, also by Miles/Coltrane. On the '58 Miles version of Stella, at the beginning of the second chorus where Trane takes over, basically playing an embellished version of the melody and Jimmy Cobb and PC switch from the "two" feel to the "four" feel. One of the hippest medium swing moments of all time, Cobb's ride cymbal is sublime.

Hoochie Mama!

[Jazzmoose]

Well, it took me long enough, but I finally made a decision. Imagine my surprise when I found that my vote boosted Relaxin' up into a tie for first! Figured I was out of step for some reason for picking this one...

Still, doesn't everyone pretty much pull all four out at the same time?

[jazzbo]

Actually, I'm waiting for the version of the complete box set that has been remastered run through a Silvertone amp that has NOT had the capacitors replaced, and with contact paper covers!

The Prestige box set acutally sounds okay; like the Riverside Monk set it errs by being a little thick and dark sounding rather than being thin and harsh sounding! The remastering holds up pretty well, and it's nice to have the sessions chronologically presented.

BUT I have bought either XRCD or K2 or DigitalK2 remasters of all but two for three of the original lps in the set . . . . I find I like the individual discs of the sessions because I grew up thinking of many of them this way, and I like the remastered sound.

[JohnJ]

I have the Japanese version of the Miles Prestige box which I am pretty sure is K2 remastered. Is the U.S. box not the same?

[jazzbo]

The US Prestige "Chronicles" box was from the early days of cd remastering, long before JVC came up with a K2 system.

[medjuck]

The interesting thing about the box set is that you get to hear the numbers in the order in which they were recorded. However the box set leaves out the "chatter" which most of us now consider part of the document. I've used the box set and the single cds to create my own "day in the life" cds for those 2 days in May and October '56. Done the same for the December 24 '54 session with Monk-- the box set leaves out the argumment between Monk and Miles.

Edited February 19, 2004 by medjuck

[jazzbo]

That is an interesting point, the chatter is absent on the box. It is present on the Japanese cds. . . .