Album Reviews

Miles Davis – The Original Mono Recordings (Legacy)

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MI0003661427You can’t be a Miles Davis fan without this collection. Miles Davis: The Original Mono Recordings not only commemorates one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, but also reaffirms jazz as the national treasure it is.

It’s 1956. AM radio rules the airwaves and Miles Davis is as prolific as ever with John Coltrane and the rest of his quintet. Taken from the original analog master tapes from ‘56 – ‘61, newly remastered versions of ‘Round About Midnight, Milestones, Jazz Track, Someday My Prince Will Come, Miles And Monk At Newport, and the classic Kind of Blue – come to life. But what’s really impressive is how definitive these recordings are. Recorded in mono, this simplistic approach was the way music was meant to be heard in the ’50s, before all the Brits plugged in and amplified our ears. Almost makes you wish rock ’n’ roll never happened. Fortunately, we can get back to that time here.

The last three albums – Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain – find Miles and conductor Gil Evans crafting beautifully-orchestrated pieces. Certainly the legacy lives on, but what’s more obvious is that the man was and forever will be, miles ahead.

– Melissa Caruso

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