Miles Smiles [Remaster]

Performer: Miles Davis
Artist: Wayne Shorter; Herbie Hancock; Ron Carter; Tony Williams
Engineer: Frank Laico
Producer: Teo Macero
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Miles Davis Quintet: Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Tony Williams (drums). Recorded at the Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York, New York on October 24 & 25, 1966. Originally released on Columbia (9401). Includes liner notes by Anthony Tuttle and Bob Belden. Digitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Mark Wilder and Rob Schwarz (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York). With their second album, Miles Smiles, the second Miles Davis Quintet really began to hit their stride, delving deeper into the more adventurous, exploratory side of their signature sound. This is clear as soon as "Orbits" comes crashing out the gate, but it's not just the fast, manic material that has an edge -- slower, quieter numbers are mercurial, not just in how they shift melodies and chords, but how the voicing and phrasing never settles into a comfortable groove. This is music that demands attention, never taking predictable paths or easy choices. Its greatest triumph is that it masks this adventurousness within music that is warm and accessible -- it just never acts that way. No matter how accessible this is, what's so utterly brilliant about it is that the group never brings it forth to the audience. They're playing for each other, pushing and prodding each other in an effort to discover new territory. As such, this crackles with vitality, sounding fresh decades after its release. And, like its predecessor, ESP, this freshness informs the writing as well, as the originals are memorable, yet open-ended and nervy, setting (and creating) standards for modern bop that were emulated well into the new century. Arguably, this quintet was never better than they are here, when all their strengths are in full bloom. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Miles Davis' restless curiosity would never allow him to look back, and as a result, he sought out new blood and fresh challenges over the course of six decades of innovation. When modernists such as Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane began stretching the parameters of form and improvisation in the early '60s, Davis was leery, even hostile at first. But as the saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em--and by 1964 Miles had assembled his own dream team of innovative young turks, who began to vivisect the entire Davis book, before moving confidently into uncharted waters. MILES SMILES marks a sea change in which the Miles Davis Quintet really begins to stretch out and confront the avant-garde with a modern thrust of their own--resulting in one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time. Performances such as "Orbits" and "Ginger Bread Boy" redefine all notions of swing, as Ron Carter and Tony Williams treat the beat in a free-flowing manner, superimposing new chords and meters over a fulminating 4/4 pulse. Pianist Hancock veers away from traditional block chord accompaniments, often providing spare polytonal counterpoint or laying out altogether. Tenor saxophonist Shorter's harmonic and melodic abandon inspire Davis to explore bold new vocal nuances in his phrasing, even as his classic compositions--such as "Footprints"--alter the harmonic language of jazz forever. And from the joyous hyper-funk of "Freedom Jazz Dance" to the serene misterioso of the trumpeter's remarkable ballad "Circles," MILES SMILES defines a new performance standard for collective improvisation.

Q (7/92, p.105) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...essential...one of the quintet's best albums...graced by such all-time great jazz compositions as `Footprints' and `Dolores'..." Down Beat (9/92, p.43) - 4.5 Stars - Very Good Plus - "...With a simpler, drier, more austere sound, the unrehearsed, rough MILES SMILES holds up so well simply because it was more of a jazz record...Davis' exquisite waltz, `Circle,' showcases his lyrical, muted-trumpet playing..." Musician (8/92, p.92) - "...has lost none of its cutting edge--still my favorite of the great quintet albums...Has any band ever grooved harder than Miles and company do on `Orbits,' `Dolores' or `Gingerbread Boy'--and has Miles ever penned a more touching ballad than `Circle'?..."

Few musicians have managed to change the course of music--trumpeter Miles Davis did it several times. An early disciple of Charlie Parker, Davis created an austere, understated approach that became the model for cool. His superb albums in the 1950s made him a star, and in the following decade, he brought small-group jazz to the limit before he unapologetically (and, for some, unforgivably) took on jazz-rock. After a break, he re-emerged in the '80s with a mixture of pop and dense, bristling funk. All the while, his refusal to follow anyone but his own muse made him both a hero and an enigma--either way, he was one of the most magnetic, influential figures in American music.

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