Audio CD review:
Miles Davis, Gil Evans - Sketches of Spain

Miles Davis, Gil Evans - Sketches of Spain

Band: Miles Davis, Gil Evans Title: Sketches of Spain Rating: Release Date: 23 September, 1997 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio) 2: Will O' The Wisp 3: The Pan Piper 4: Saeta 5: Solea 6: Song Of Our Country 7: Concierto De Aranjuez (Part One) 8: Concierto De Aranjuez (Part Two Ending)

Editoral Review From his early days as a sideman for Charlie Parker, through his groundbreaking Birth of the Cool sessions, to his stunning small groups of the '50s and '60s, through to his electric renaissance, the trumpeter, bandleader, and composer has left a deep mark on all who came after. Miles Davis's impact on jazz is almost incalculable. He is one of jazz's true giants. Sketches of Spain, though one of Davis's most commercially successful sessions, is also one of his most controversial. Re-teaming with arranger and composer Gil Evans, who played such a pivotal role in Davis's 1949 Birth of the Cool recordings, Davis recorded a series of large group albums beginning in the late '50s, including Porgy and Bess, Miles Ahead, and Quiet Nights. Sketches of Spain, with its emphasis on flamenco, rich orchestrations, and relaxed tempos, is certainly one of Davis's most mellow recordings (he even works out on fluegelhorn), and proved to have broad appeal. To some critics, however, the project was "elevated elevator music. " An expanded version of the album, featuring alternative tracks and unreleased material, was issued in 1997 by Columbia Legacy. --Fred Goodman .. You can see a complete list of all Miles Davis, Gil Evans discography, or go back to the Miles Davis, Gil Evans tabs