Customer Reviews

Dear Miles

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Five ENJOYABLE Stars!! Composer, arranger, educator, perennial jazz poll- and Grammy-winner Ron Carter, unquestionably one of the greatest bassists in jazz history, has conjured up a great tribute to Miles Davis, who brought him front and center in the jazz world. Historically, Mr Carter arrived in the quintet after the "Kind of Blue" era, playing from 1963 to 1968 teaming up with Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams to form one of jazz' most stellar rhythm sections, playing many of these very songs. This CD is a wonderful set of Miles associated-songs which are fresh while often maintaining much of the atmosphere of the originals. Mr Carter is joined by the stupendously inventive Stephen Scott on piano, superlative drummer Payton Crossley and master percussionist Roger Squitero. Wonderfully recorded, you can often hear the reverberations of Mr Carter's strings suspending the notes in the air longer than we normally hear.

The 'Pieces De Resistance', the best of the best, begin with a song I listened to six consecutive times before moving on: the 5-minute "Stella by Starlight" which begins with a bridge fragment and is a robust, wonderfully-constructed, touching extended bass solo by the 'bassist-extraordinare' with some tasteful piano, percussion and great brush support. And look for Ron's amazing 'mystery note' near the end, in a performance that mirrors the Miles Davis tempo and atmosphere but stands on its own; ditto for the tempo shifting "My Funny Valentine". "Gone" has some superlative drumming, stout Carter 'walking', great Scott pianism, and great overall interplay. "Seven Steps To Heaven" starts out in a familiar vein but launches on its own trajectory from there with Scott absolutely on fire and with some muscular bongo playing by 'conguero' Squitero. The waltz "Some Day My Prince Will Come" starts out where we would expect and Scott turns it funky and bluesy in a great performance that almost sounds 'Brubeck-ian' near the end. There are two Ron Carter compositions: the blazing fast "Cut and Paste" with Crossley showing his 'accent' and solo mastery and Carter giving a bass-walking seminar, and the bluesy, almost "So What"-ish "595" which is a showcase for Ron's writing and arranging plus Squitero's background percussive virtuosity. Don't let the song times dissuade you, each satisfying song gets a thorough examination and exposition. Now 70, a fleet-fingered, highly-inventive Ron Carter is as potent a bassist and as vital a composer and group leader as ever, inspiring those around him as evidenced by this disc. My Highest Recommendation. Five WONDERFUL Stars!!

(Note: this review is based on an iTunes digital download.)

The promotional materials accompanying "Dear Miles" quote Ron Carter as saying "I would have been offended 10 years ago if someone had asked me to do a Mile tribute album." Why Carter would suddenly be defensive about a Miles tribute at any point in his career is strange. He's been interpreting Miles materials continually as accompanist and bandleader since leaving Miles' greatest quintet around 1968.



It's not the project that's strange--Ron Carter was a seminal contributor to Miles' creations during Miles' most fertile period, so accusing him of plagiarism would be ludicrous--what's strange here is the choice of material. These are not Miles' heavy hitters. For the most part, they're not tunes associated exclusively with Miles at all. In fact, the track list would prompt many music lovers to put the CD back on the shelf. This is a badly shop-worn setlist. Who wants to hear another "My Funny Valentine"? What's been done with it since Chet Baker that compelled a second listen? "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Stella by Starlight"? It sounds like an "as-seen-on-TV" compilation.



But from the first cut, it's apparent that something remarkable is happening on "Dear Miles". "Gone," one of Gil Evans' finest big band arrangements from "Porgy and Bess," is transmuted in its translation to the quartet format to become something wonderful indeed. "My Funny Valentine" gets an overhaul that rediscovers something at the heart of the tune that is beautiful in its simplicity. And then there's "Bag's Groove," a tune that Carter has beautifully reinterpreted before (notably in a duet with Jim Hall), but never to greater effect on this CD. Even "As Time Goes By" becomes something new and vibrant here.

This is Carter's best work since 1999's Latin-inspired "Orfeu," and his greatest traditional small ensemble work since Miles.

Note: Copyright 2007 Elmore magazine and reprinted with permission.

Not since first listening to "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis have I enjoyed a jazz album this much. I am a high school English teacher and Ron Carter's "Dear Miles" has a calming effect on me and the restless seniors I try to teach each day. This CD is so easy to listen to, I actually forget it's playing sometimes. It creates the perfect ambient sound in my classroom.

I have to agree with a previous reviewer, I think Miles Davis would have really enjoyed Ron Carter's tribute to him. You have to check out this disc.

As my husband is one of Australia's leading jazz pianists...he and i find this cd, one of the best quartet recordings ever made.Miles would have dug it.Long live Miles{music} Ron Carter and Stephen Scott. Helen Livermore and Bobby Gebert.

Just received this as a gift from my son for my birthday. Always been a fan of Ron Carter, and this record certainly doesn't change that. A great collection of songs, including some original compositions. Musicianship is top rate, although I'll need to listen a few more times to appreciate the added percussion included here. It's odd at first since I'm not used to it in the other jazz I listen to. Be that as it may, this is a beautiful record. Sound quality is wonderful as well, which is VERY important to me, especially with my jazz collection. All in all, very well done indeed?

We can Never rate an elegant refine artist like Ron Carter with less than 5 Stars, Never. Sometimes he plays a tune in many CDs of his, but each one has its own flavor and taste.
Dear Miles is another CD of Ron to enrich every Jazz collection.
Accompagning him are: Stephen Scott on Piano, Payton Crossely on Drums and Roger Squitero on Percussion. ENJOY...