Quiet Nights with Miles Davis and Gil Evans

Quiet Nights was an album Miles was not pleased with upon its release.

In fact, he was furious that Columbia Records and producer Teo Macero patched enough music together to release a brief album of what Miles considered an inferior rough draft of stuff from the cutting room floor.

Miles was also looking for Someone to replace Hank Mobley as the tenor man in the group, Mobley replaced Coltrane in the working band.

Hank did not bring enough revolutionary ideas to the band to satisfy Miles.

Hank is a fine hard bop player, probably one of the most underrated of all time. In fact, his Blue Note releases are really quite remarkable the high quality... but I must concede he never did fit in with Miles for some reason.

 Other than a few tracks on 1968's Files de Kilimanjaro, Quiet Nights would be the last time Gil and Miles would work together, or at least lay anything to tape anyway.

Gil went on to form his own large orchestra, his impulse album Out of the Cool, is a spectacular album on Impulse that every jazz collector must own.

Gil recorded many fine albums throughout 60's, 70's, and 80's. Many of Gil's Albums fused rock and funk elements.

One of the more unusual albums is the RCA Label issue, Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix, this is an album that actually has a version of "Voodoo Chile" (Slight Return) where Howard Johnson Plays the intro on tuba! Yes a tuba, and it is quite remarkable how well he pulls it off. Quiet Nights may be uneven, but still pretty good to my ears.

Miles Davis and Gil Evans Sketches of Spain on Vinyl

Released in July of 1960, Sketches of Spain was a wildly successful album, that garnered Evans and Davis Grammy Awards for their efforts.

My thoughts about the album are a bit mixed, Sketches is easily the least jazzy of the collaborations; also I feel that Miles' own playing is not quite "just a bit" up to the standard of the previously recorded Evans collaboration Porgy & Bess. Miles really put himself out on a limb on Sketches, his vulnerable stark sound was made for this music.

It is well known Miles had trouble on this session, the strange new material, and the tough Evan's arrangements physically exhausted Miles, he did not record again for over a year after the session. 

Sketches of Spain is an album that will grow on you after repeated listens, the brooding mood of the piece is hard to ignore. Personally my favorite track is "Solea," I love the bass groove on this track, really puts you in the ring with the bull fighter.

Sketches of Spain on vinyl like most Miles Columbia releases are readily available at reasonable prices. You could get a near mint 60's Columbia 6 eye copy for around 15 dollars.

A 66 year old record like that is certainly a piece of history worth having. The reissue may sound as good or better, but they can't mimic the feel of that aged thick cardboard. Them old Columbia records hold up well to surface wear too. You could get a VG to VG+ copy for under 10 bucks, maybe better than that in a local record shop.

Miles Davis and Gil Evans' Porgy & Bess: As Good as Anything Miles Ever Did

Porgy & Bess is nearly flawless, with perfect sound. It's one of the greatest orchestra albums ever made.

This rendition of the Gershwin classic is easily one of the top 5 Miles Davis Records. Porgy is without a doubt Gil Evans' grand masterpiece.

How is it possible to improve on the original Gershwin work so much? The Davis/Evans Porgy is indeed the definitive rendition.

I think it is important to mention that I am listening to Porgy as I write this, It has been a while since I enjoyed the vinyl copy. This music will stir you, move you, and ultimately exhilarate you". The music never sounded better to me than one night in the spring several years ago: I was sitting on a second floor balcony with a steady after dusk rain falling, the temperature was around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

I clearly remember being moved so much by this instrumental music, that the hair was standing up on the back of my neck. Such is the quality of the music, and the mood enhanced by the falling rain and foggy atmosphere. It still stands out to me more than 15 years later.

If you focus deeply into the music, you will almost feel the orchestra. Tubas, flutes, and french horns, are just some of the instruments that flesh out the sultry blues even more than the original Work

Miles' vulnerable tone was made for this music, on both trumpet and flugelhorn. The track below "Prayer, Oh, Doctor Jesus" is something special indeed. I only wish I would have discovered Miles sooner than 20 years ago. Porgy has become my favorite 50's Miles album by a shade over Kind of Blue.

Miles Ahead From Miles Davis and Gil Evans

What a fantastic album Miles Ahead is, probably considered the lesser of the trio of Davis/Evans collaborations.

True Davis aficionados sort of consider all three close to being equal, with Porgy & Bess or Sketches of Spain just being above Miles Ahead.

Possibly those albums just perfected the style started on Miles Ahead? I have always thought of Miles Ahead as Kind of Blue with an orchestra... or at least the vibe is somewhat familiar.

Arranger Evans sure has a knack for painting a picture with the way he uses strange instrument pairings, and switches roles with what the traditional time keeping instruments do.

Out of the Cool: A 1961 Masterwork of Progressive Orchestral Jazz By Gil Evans

Undoubtedly, Gil Evans is best known for his breathtakingly wonderful Miles Davis collaborations.

Hyperbole? Perhaps... but one listen to 1958's reading of the Gershwin Classic Porgy & Bess would prove the point.

After all, isn't the Davis/Evans reading considered the definitive rendition?

There's omething about that album: I don't think Miles' vulnerable unpretentious sound ever sounded more inviting. Miles actually gaining rapport with the lonely as he plays.

Is this album, Out of the Cool, a 1961 Impulse Records release as good as Porgy, Miles Ahead, and Sketches of Spain? I think it fits comfortably with those masterworks even without Miles. I would only choose Porgy over Out of the Cool myself. The albums centerpiece is "La Nevada", a track recorded 2 years earlier for Pacific Jazz, a shorter version with thinner sound in my opinion than this release.

 That whole Great Jazz Standards record is pretty good, but the production is light years from the full rich sound of Out of the Cool in my opinion.

I don't know why, but when I listen to "La Nevada" I picture in my mind a hot and humid day, perhaps a muggy evening watching the sunset?  Odd, since Nevada is known for its desert climate. I also like that thick bass and drum sound out in front.

Most say it's lyrical impressionism that Evan's is known for. Perhaps that being a little less noticeable on Out of the Cool, is what makes it a stand out.

 That "Monet sound-scape" if you will, does enter very much on "Where Flamingo's Fly", a summer-time walk in the park is what I think of here. This also has a bit of a psychedelic vibe to the opening of the track as well.

If you're just know collecting vinyl, a mono or stereo pressing will only set you back about $40 max, it's supply and demand, but these older Van Gelder Impulse pressings are rising more and more.

With early Blue Note vinyl so astronomically priced, people are turning to other labels to collect. Better get them while you can.