Blue Haze

Miles Davis

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Original Release Date: May 19, 1953
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000Y5M
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,448 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This CD reissue features trumpeter Miles Davis with three different pick-up recording groups that are full of fellow all-stars. 'Tune Up,' 'Miles Ahead,' 'When Lights Are Low' (which uses slightly different chord changes than its composer Benny Carter originally intended) and 'Smooch' find Davis joined by pianist John Lewis (Charles Mingus plays piano on 'Smooch'), bassist Percy Heath and drummer Max Roach. With pianist Horace Silver, bassist Heath and drummer Art Blakey offering solid accompaniment, Davis introduces 'Four' and performs 'Old Devil Moon' and 'Blue Haze.' Finally, with altoist Dave Schildkraut, Silver, Heath and drummer Kenny Clarke, Miles jams through 'I'll Remember April.' Although not as essential as the trumpeter's classic quintet records of 1955-56, several of the performances (most notably 'Tune Up' and 'Four') are quite memorable and the straight ahead playing is of

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't understand, July 3, 1999

By A Customer

I don't understand what the previous "reviewer" was talking about, that miles was playing it square here. This is a beautiful, relaxed album, and one of the only quartet recordings miles did. Plus, he plays the open trumpet on every tune. He made this album when he was waking up from his blue haze of heroin addiction, right before he went on to huge fame and success and you can hear all his new ideas formulating on this record. However, if you're only accustomed to later Miles Davis records where he was fueled by fiery tenormen like Shorter and Coltrane, then maybe it might sound too laid back for you. I dunno.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early Miles!! Outstanding Miles!!, July 25, 2004

By	RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Yeah, we know Miles went through many phases and stages, but this is where I started with Miles after I initially heard "Sketches of Spain", then I went to "Round MidNight" with Coltrane, and then backwards to Mile's Charlie Parker days, then I went forward to "Live at the BlackHawk", then "Kind of Blue". Whew. That's alot of ground, but Miles was mercurial and great at everything he did, never stopping very long to smell a particular group of roses before moving on to the next challenge.

The 'Piece D'Resistance' here is the extended performance of "I'll Remember April". A huge, mind-opening performance!! Arrangement-wise (very uptempo & Native-American oriented), performance-wise, it's just wonderful, and I've listened to it for decades with the same wonder and enjoyment. Kenny Clarke's brushwork is too much, and Davey Schildkraut (alto) and Miles (muted trumpet) blow wonderful, inspired solos still fresh today; but Horace Silver's two piano solos steal the show and even his piano fills during the magnificent Percy Heath 'walking bass' section are exceptional. Worth the entire CD!! Don't miss this!

"Tune Up" and "Smooch" (with Mingus' amazing pianism and double stops) are also great, but another gem is "Four". Few times in the history of jazz music has so much wonderful stuff been done in so little time than on "Four". Totally mesmerizing. And I absolutely love Miles' solo, the ultra hip and clever Horace Silver piano solo, and Blakey's wonderful rimshot groupings. WOW!

AFTERTHOUGHT: The song "Tune Up" later received a legendary extended and wonderful performance by Sonny Rollins on The Very Best. Mingus also displays more of his piano work on his solo piano CD [Mingus Plays Piano]. Buy all three and enjoy the overlap.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the Best of Mid-Career Miles, August 27, 2008

By	Jerry Engelbach (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blue Haze (MP3 Download)

I'm a jazz pianist. I still have the orignal LP of this, the first by Miles that I ever owned. Several of the hundreds of songs I know I learned from this album. It's a classic, with an enviable lineup of world-class musicians and first-rate, sensitive solos. It marks a time of extended transition for Miles between his bebop/cool beginnings and his later modal and post-bop periods.