Early Miles Quintet
4
By DonnieTheB
Amazing how different this album is from "Blue Moods" released in 1955. This one has a distinct be-bop feel where the earlier album was mostly cool. I read that Miles kicked heroin before the 1956 recording session for this album, so there is no excuse for any thin tone or note splattering on those tunes. It might seem sacrilegious to some for me to point out deficiencies with John Coltrane, but here he often tries to cram as many notes as possible into his solos, to the detriment of the sound. And he often strays outside the chord structure, as Davis does some. It is not close enough for jazz, as they say, if it sounds bad! Paul Chambers, Red Garland and Joe Jones were a solid rhythm section. This is one of those albums considered as a must have, but don't make this your only Miles Davis album. I enjoy it very much but have many of his albums.
