Audio CD review:
Miles Davis - The Complete Birth of the Cool

Miles Davis - The Complete Birth of the Cool

Band: Miles Davis Title: The Complete Birth of the Cool Rating: Release Date: 19 May, 1998 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Move 2: Jeru 3: Moon Dreams 4: Venus De Milo 5: Budo 6: Deception 7: Godchild 8: Boplicity 9: Rocker 10: Israel 11: Rouge 12: Darn That Dream 13: Birth Of The Cool Theme 14: Symphony Sid Announces The Band 15: Move 16: Why Do I Love You 17: Godchild 18: Symphony Sid Introduction 19: S'il Vous Plait 20: Moon Dreams 21: Budo (Hallucination) 22: Darn That Dream 23: Move 24: Moon Dreams 25: Budo (Hallucinations)

Editoral Review Having made his reputation in large measure from playing with bop giant Charlie Parker, Davis confounded expectations when he embraced the "cool" arranging style of Gil Evans, an arranger for Claude Thornhill's band. Birth of the Cool is the first important leader date from Miles Davis, one of jazz's most seminal figures and farsighted practitioners. Evans, who was employing unique voicings by adding French horns and tuba to Thornhill's instrumentations, also emphasized a diminished use of vibrato in both reeds and brass, producing a drier, "cool" sound. Two of Evans's arrangements, "Boplicity" and "Moon Dreams," appear on the album. Also involved are baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, who contributed such outstanding tunes as "Jeru" and "Venus de Milo," and Modern Jazz Quartet pianist John Lewis. The result is a date that has withstood the tests of time, fashion, and Davis's own extraordinary growth as a performer. An enhanced set, The Complete Birth of the Cool expands the original issue with previously bootlegged live recordings of Davis's nonet at the Royal Roost in New York in 1948. Although the sound quality is far from perfect, the performances are remarkable, and worth the additional expense for the serious fan. --Fred Goodman .. You can see a complete list of all Miles Davis discography, or go back to the Miles Davis tabs