Miles Davis – Miles Ahead (1957)

Continuing the charity shop haul from last week, is this 1957 Miles Davis album, playing with an orchestra conducted by, and music arranged by Gil Evans.

It feels very different to Davis work that was to follow. There's only one Davis composition, and he's very much the soloist (playing flugelhorn here) in a big band, so this has an interesting crossover feel between 1940/50s big band jazz, and the ensembles Davis was to later put together to play his own music.

Opening piece Springsville certainly has that big band feel to accompany Davis' upbeat theme, while The Maids Of Cadiz could be a foretaste of his Sketches Of Spain album, with the theme possibly borrowed by Robert Wyatt on Alliance. There follows a series of very listenable pieces, including the laidback The Duke, a Brubeck composition, and the less interesting Ira Gershwin / Kurt Weill piece, My Ship, sounding very film score like.

Title track Miles Ahead is the only Davis (with Evans) composition, but it's not one of his most memorable ones, while Blues For Pablo allows Davis a little more space without really letting rip. New Rhumba is very much a band piece, and the original album concludes with a medley of The Meaning Of The Blues and Lament, which rambles somewhat, and a lively, cheery I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You).

There are four alternate takes of tracks from the album, but none to my ear, are improvements on the originals.

As Miles Davis albums goes, this is very listenable without there being too much that stands out. The Gil Evans arranged band dominates the sound more than the flugelhorn player. But well worth a listen.

Link to album tracks

3* - a stepping stone between big band and Davis' more individual work.