Customer Reviews

Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Miles Davis

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seriously consider this CD if you're new to the art of Miles Davis...everybody else will find this set too limited in scope. KEN BURNS JAZZ is the audio equivalent of reading the back-cover jacket of a book--this CD does give you a soundbite-sized view of what all of the fuss is about. There is arguably no greater innovator in jazz than Miles Davis, and only a handful are AS great.

This CD does sample a number of important Davis achievements. DONNA LEE (1947) is from Davis' first session as leader, and features saxophone legend Charlie Parker (who somewhat mentored Miles). BOPLICITY is a memorable track from Davis' 1949-50 BIRTH OF THE COOL nonet sessions. WALKIN' (1954) is an anthemic infusion of the blues into modern jazz, while GENERIQUE (1957) is a minimalist effort from Davis' unique, all-improvised soundtrack to a French movie.

The legendary Miles Davis/Gil Evans large-ensemble series of classics is represented by I LOVES YOU PORGY (1957). SO WHAT (1959) is the leadoff track from KIND OF BLUE, Davis' most popular album, and representative of his first great combo (with John Coltrane, etc.). MY FUNNY VALENTINE is one of several expansive 1960s-vintage live versions, while GINGERBREAD BOY (1966) offers an example of Davis' second great combo (with Herbie Hancock, etc.). By 1969 Davis had added electric instruments and ideas adapted from progressive r&b/soul/rock...MILES RUNS THE VOODOO DOWN (1969) is an inviting entry point into this controversial era. Davis' last decade prior to his death in 1991 is represented by TUTU (1986), where he makes contemporary studio production work to his advantage.

Though some claim that Miles turned his back on jazz in his later years, I hear his electric-era music as a sincere effort to have jazz reflect its era of creation, rather than becoming insulated from it. Whatever your perspective, this CD opens the blinds for the newcomer to peak into the width and depth of Davis' lengthy and consistently-productive career. The music itself is all FIVE stars...I docked the CD a star because one disc cannot adequately reflect the entirety of Davis' career. However, this CD comes as close as possible.

Why buy this album, when you can get the newly remastered originals? This albums takes the tunes out of their original context and delivers substandard versions. And to what end, other than putting a few bucks in Ken Burns' pocket?

If you're a newcomer interested in Miles, go buy the newly remastered versions of "Kind of Blue", "Birth of the Cool" and "Sketches of Spain".

Before I start, I should make it clear that I think a `Miles Davis' Greatest Hits' CD is a ludicrous idea. His career has gone through so many different stages that any greatest hits collection is bound to suffer from lack of continuity. Besides, each of his classic stages are already represented by albums that should be owned outright, and not excerpted (Birth of the Cool, Walkin', Kind of Blue, Miles Smiles, Bitches Brew).
Nevertheless, some people might appreciate hearing a few highlights back to back, and the Ken Burns disk certainly makes for great listening. If you're a Miles freak, this is extraneous, but if you want to get a fair overview, this disk is a great place to dive in. - Tom Ryan

what a great c.d. to introduce anyone to the different styles of miles davis. theres a track from every period. and they are all good. all from different labels. thats whats so cool about these ken burns compilations. everything isnt from just one label. theyre long.....and fairly priced. i have 9 of them.....ellington..hawins...young...gillespie...parker...monk...mingus...blakey...and davis. they are all great. if you are going to purchase compilations these are the ones to get. take it from me. ive bought alot of jazz c.d.s in my life. these are some of the best. eric haas

There is just simply too much brilliant Miles Davis out there to narrow it down to 1 cd. These things can be done for most other artists; for Davis however, it is quite impossible. This cd represents a good (if thin) slice of Miles, but for the true devotee of jazz.... forget it. You'll want to check out some of the master's cd's for themselves, before electric and after.

this is Good for the New Comer to Miles's Music or if you just caught the Ken Burns Special.but to really appreciate the Genius&Depth of Miles Davis you would be better off getting the full treatment of His work.these songs are very important but you only get a small amount of the Greatness of Miles here.a very safe bit.His Music&Genius are both Essential&Timeless.

I LOVE Miles Davis. He is without a doubt the best trumpet player to ever live, and almost everything he ever put out was a masterpiece. (If you haven't checked out his 1959 'Kind Of Blue,' than you are really missing out.)

And I love the Ken Burns JAZZ documentaries that aired on PBS in the early 2000s. John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and almost every other jazz icon got a documentary in the series.

Yes, this is a career retrospective with ten classics from his entire career, but I don't understand why they chose to include 'Donna Lee' from the Charlie Parker years. I, personally, would include something like 'Scrapple From The Apple' or perhaps 'Star Eyes' over that.

But I LOVE 'Donna Lee' still. I love everything Miles ever cut. This remains the best career spanner on a single disc collection. Sure, Miles has plenty of box sets, but this is the way to go if you want a single disc career spanner.

Highly recommended for any MD fan. A really enjoyable set. ENJOY!!!

I give this cd 5 stars, as it does just about as much as 1 cd can do for an artist who's career spanned decades. This album is a great place for someone not too familiar with Davis' work, and who wants to discover him. But then again, I have a few of Miles' cds, and yet I still bought this one, as it covers his work for different record labels, as well as different styles. And it's always good to have a compilation that does. It makes for good listening. And, like it says in the liner notes, that no single-disc retrospective can do Davis complete justice. But this one at least succeeds in giving an idea of his lingering influence on modern jazz of every conceivable sort.

It's a shame that individuals like Alain Robert feel completely compelled to showcase their self-important opinions and false expertise by missing the mark and point in trying to review this , or any other CD in this series. Reducing Miles to one CD is dumb, dumb, dumb? I'm glad you felt the need to emphasize this word three times to corroborate your supposed expertise in reviewing this product. These discs are 'introductions' and 'samplers,' nothing more or less. I can't even understand why someone who is so educated in the field of jazz would even buy this disc, much less review it. Buying a Ken Burn's jazz Cd is the equivalent of purchasing a 'Classical Music for Dummies' CD, of which many are available spotlighting various composers. Of course you can't give an accurate representation of Mile's career on 1 disc. But do you honestly expect someone who is a complete beginner to spring for a 5 disc collection? I own 50 Miles Davis CD's and this is a pleasant sampler with nice sound at a decent price. And it is great for radio production (the reason it was purchased) since it spans several years on one handy disc!

I can't beleive someone can think of resuming MILES in 1 cd.This is simply dumb,dumb,dumb and it reduces a great musician to a few samples.Like COLTRANE, MILES had a multi level career,each one advancing his taste for reaching new steps everytime.The MILES DAVIS QUINTET with JOHN COLTRANE has possibly become the greatest jazz band ever.The box collecting their works is marvellous.Why not buy ROUND MIDNIGHT and SKETCHES OF SPAIN and if you like them, you can go from there?CIVIL WAR:GREAT;BASEBALL:GREAT;JAZZ:READ A GOOD BOOK INSTEAD