Customer Reviews

Miles Smiles (Sl)

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Miles was not only a brilliant musician and composer in his own right, he also had an incredible ability to bring out the best in his sidemen and establish them as leaders - usually young incredibly talented musicians whose most brilliant work was yet to come. Usually their most brilliant work was as a member of Miles' bands. Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter were probably the finest musicians Miles ever played with and with Miles they produced some of their most astonishing music.

Miles Smiles should not your first purchase if you are new to jazz or new to the music of Miles. Kind of Blue would be a better album to ease into. However, once you have found yourself mesmerized by the fluidity and pure beauty of that album, it is time to go a little deeper. The music on Miles Smiles is a little more abstract and complex. Miles was exploring free jazz more with this second quintet, and this album along with E.S.P and Sorcerer transitioned into Miles' new phase prior to the freer and more electric period. Free jazz in my opinion got a little too "out there." This never seems that way. The band is right on target, playing with a unity that is mind-blowing.

Herbie Hancock's beautiful flourishes on "Circle" still give me chills, Tony Williams crisp, rhythmic drum fills are flawless from beginning to end. Many people have said bassist Ron Carter is overrated - listen to this album and you will have to disagree. Wayne is as precise and as melodic as usual - truly a master of his instrument. And Miles? What more can be said? He's the man.

If you have a couple Miles CD's and are really digging them, then you will LOVE Miles Smiles. Recorded in one take, it is nothing less than spontaneous, beautiful music.

Some may wonder with Miles Davis's vast catalogue, could there possibly be a recording that eclipses the infamous KIND OF BLUE? Well as a avid Miles fan, I can tell you there are several releases which eclipse it, most notably MILES SMILES. In my opinion, this could be the greatest acoustic Miles record ever released.

This is definitely my favorite record by his second great quintet, which featured personnel upgrades in Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums), who was just 17 years old when Miles first hired him. Wayne Shorter, (tenor sax) replaces John Coltrane, who, at this time, was exploring new territory at the time with such avant-garde releases as ASCENSION and INTERSTELLAR SPACE. Trane and Miles were growing too far apart from each other for it to make sense to have them playing together. Coltrane needed to be a leader at this time.

Just 21 months earlier, this quintet released their debut, E.S.P., to much critical acclaim. On MILES SMILES, this group spaces out even more, making the most of Williams' polyrhythms, and the inter-twining modal soloing of Shorter and Davis. There is so much going on at all times - as a listener, you can choose to focus on just one instrument of your choice the entire time and rarely lose interest.

This disc opens up with the Wayne Shorter original, 'Orbits', and we are immediately presented with the type of abstract playing the two solists are exploring. Hancock acts more as a soloist on this recording as well, but at the same time focus on the drums and bass, especially Carter's ability to hold the group together with his walking patterns. Two other Shorter originals are feautured here - 'Footprints' and 'Dolores'. 'Footprints' opens with a tantalizing trumpet and sax harmony, but Tony Williams shines again once more. Elements as simple as the light triplets being played on the edge of the cymbals are all that is needed to secure a solid basis for the rest of the group to play over. 'Dolores' has a bit more energy and features another catchy harmony from the beginning. If we listen closely to the bass here, we start to notice some of Carter's slide work which would be a staple of Herbie Hancock's solo record SPEAK LIKE A CHILD from the same era. Miles also plays a bit more 'stiff' on this tune, closer in line to his playing from his earlier days with Sonny Rollins and other mid-50's prestige-era recordings.

The only Miles original here is the cool jazz ballad, 'Circle'. . . probably the most somber track on the disc. Rounding out the recording are 'Freedom Jazz Dance' by Eddie Harris, and 'Gingerbread Boy' by Percy Heath. These two are by far my favorite tracks. 'Freedom Jazz Dance' is played at an accelerated tempo, and Miles's playing is utterly impressive. His use of modes against both Hancock's comping, and the incredible Tony Williams will put you in shock! 'Gingerbread Boy' sounds closer to Ornette Coleman (ala SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME) more than any other Miles recording I can think of. Miles is all over the place, and the rhythm section of Hancock, Carter, and Williams is unbeatable.

Anyone who appreciates KIND OF BLUE must give MILES SMILES a serious listen. It is definitely not as accesible both in its abstractness and structure. However, those new to this paradigm must realize that jazz is an artform that is always evolving and changing. I suppose a certain level of open-mindedness is necessary in deciding between those who keep listening and those who walk away.

Miles Smiles is the second album by the second Great Quintet. The consensus is also that it's the best of that quintet's 6 studio albums; I can't disagree. It starts where its predecessor, E.S.P., left off but delves even further into abstraction and exploration. Fans of the trumpeter's 50s recordings may find this album's abstraction forbidding even if it doesn't feature the outright dissonance of 60s free jazz. Though none of the tunes ever abandon a central pulse, the actual meter and rhythm are always ambiguous; and Herbie Hancock's sparse or nonexistent comping during Davis and Shorter's solos frees up the harmony and lets the soloists play whatever they want. The relative absence of the piano also contributes to the dry, skeletal sound of the album. Shorter thrives in this setting, whereas Miles provides some of the most exciting, virtuosic playing of his career. And the 19 year old Tony Williams is a monster on the drums; you may never hear better drumming elsewhere. The performances are all classics. "Orbits" links a memorable tune to unfettered improvisation. "Circle" is an abstraction of the classic Miles ballad sound and features one of the greatest piano solos of all time -- anybody who's heard this album with agree. "Footprints" is an unforgettable, mysterious Wayne Shorter composition with a probing, masterful solo by Miles and some spiky, Taylor-esque chording by Hancock. Williams is fully on charge on that one, with Ron Carter's elastic bass playing holding the band together. "Dolores" is another catchy Shorter composition, and the album closes with two masterful deconstructions of jazz standards. These definitive takes of Eddie Harris's "Freedom Jazz Dance" and Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy" completely reinvent the tunes. Miles Smiles is easily in a 60s jazz top ten; its cerebral beauty is *that* compelling.

While the "New Thing" was in full swing by the mid-sixties, Miles made relatively conservative records that were largely derivative of his landmark "Kind of Blue". But by the time he went into the studio in October '66 with Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, and Ron Carter, he knew he had a band that could help him propel his music forward and define "progressive jazz" on his own terms. "Miles Smiles" is the stunning result.

The lead-off tune "Orbits" establishes the pattern in Miles' songs that would be prevelant to the end of the decade: brief, horn-led statements of the theme at the beginning and end of the tune, with almost-free improvision in between. I say "almost", because with Hancock providing minimal chords and Williams often ignoring time, bassist Ron Carter is often the only player holding the whole melody together, a job he does masterfully. The Shorter classic "Footprints" follows this pattern to great effect, resulting in the best interpretation of that song ever. Other covers "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Ginger Bread Boy" are incredible Williams showcases. But truthfully, everyone is playing well, there are no slackers in this lineup.

I wouldn't go as far as to say a jazz neophyte can get into this record. But if you're ready to take the next step up in enjoying the interesting complexities that jazz has to offer, this is an absolute essential buy.

Miles proudly stated in his autobiography that he and his band "really stretched out" on this record. Believe it.

'Kind of Blue', as great as it is, like so many classics just gets overplayed. I mean you can't go to 'Starbucks' or 'Caribou' without hearing the classic Coltrane, Adderley, Davis, et all collaboration. Thankfully there are several other Miles albums to enjoy after you have heard 'So What' one too many times. My personal favorite, so far, is 'Miles Smiles'. This album features a quintet that is equally talented and interesting - and even innovative. Miles seems to have become, more or less, open to experimentation at this time in his career - and with the driving ambition of his young cohorts - they go off and explore new territories - sometimes less placid than the sounds you would associate with the Miles of the 50's.

As other reviewers have mentioned Tony Williams is the best thing since sliced bread - with his drums going all over the place. Wayne Shorter's compositions are always interesting - I especially like 'Footprints' which plays with time in a way that inspires the quintet to its most interesting moments on the disc. This is just such a fresh sounding group (still fresh in 2006!). Give this a listen..

If you don't have it get it for chrissakes!

Only qualm: it sounds better on LP. If you see it in a used LP bin sometime, you might be pleased with the extra warmth of vinyl. I don't know what it is, but all the Miles/Tony Williams stuff on CD seems "overcleaned up."

Miles Smiles is the best release from the second Miles Davis Quintet and one of his best albums overall. Miles was well known for getting the best of out of his band and this album is no exception. "Orbits" is a hard-bop track similar to those on his previous album E.S.P. "Circle" is a slower piece reminiscent of the Kind Of Blue era. Herbie Hancock's solos are the highlight of these tracks although Miles' solo in "Circle" is great as well. Wayne Shorter's pieces, particularly "Footprints" and "Dolores", are strong tracks both featuring excellent soloing over the fantastic rhythm playing of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Miles liked to call Williams the anchor of the band and he proves that in his performaces on "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Gingerbread Boy." The latter is the most intense track here featuring more great solos from Shorter, Davis, and Hancock. An essential Miles Davis release. Highly recommended.

for people who have a spark of curiosity about the legendary music of Miles Davis, knowing where to begin the search can be a frustrating issue. with a back catalogue as vast as a small continent, figuring out where to start and where to go can be tricky. especially considering the many phases of Miles' long and adventerous career. he spawned many folowers and imitators and made many enemies along the way. a larger than life figure who would dominate the jazz scene for decades and whose music still holds power and brilliance even to this day. Personally, i have been such a big John Coltrane fan for so many years, that i somehow blindly overlooked Miles Davis' recorded output for a long time. it's just been in the past 4 years or so that i have gotten the opportunity to dig into Miles' absolutely stunning and quite frankly, overwhelming music. whereas Coltrane was the master of melody, Miles is the master of the mood. a true genius whose musical impact and influence is felt even stronger today than it was when he was alive.

Miles Smiles is another highly satisfying album, full of creative talent and top-notch performances. as the title implies, the mood here is joyous (i heard that this album was titled as such because people always said that Miles never smiled in photographs). Wayne Shorter is outstanding on this disc as is the ultra talented drummer, Tony Williams (aged only 20 years old at the time of this recording!). these songs seem to keep a fairly standard structure, but giving the players plenty of room to manouver. soon, on the next albums, there would be more space in the music to freely explore, but right now, everyone is still comfortable; but pushing a little bit more with each album. Miles Smiles...and if i'd made an album this good, i'd be smiling too.

After recording "E.S.P." at the beginning of 1965, Miles Davis took nearly two years off from the studio to perform live with his new quintet-- saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. When they finally did return to the studio in October of 1966, the result was "Miles Smiles", perhaps the best acoustic jazz album Miles Davis ever did.

By this point, his quintet had reached a near-telepathic level of interaction-- the unit is totally cohesive and the performance benefits from it. The music sits somewhere uncomfortably between hard bop and free jazz-- four originals (three by Shorter and one by Davis) and two covers-- Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" and Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy" get readings. The performances are stunning-- Shorter's "Dolores" is a great example-- Davis strolls fiercely on top of Carter and Williams during his solo, both threaten to steal the show from him. This is pretty much the way the album goes throughout-- everyone performs fantastically, all the cuts are brilliant, energetic and powerful. I have a personal love of Shorter's "Footprints", which gets a moody, midtempo reading and Davis' "Circle", which is simply a fantastic ballad, with Davis digging deep for his performance, but I could make the same kind of commentary on any track-- they are all pretty much stunning.

"Miles Smiles" will likely never get wide recognition like "Kind of Blue" as the music is fairly challenging, aggressive, and make no concessions, but it is one of the most rewarding albums in Davis' catalog, and repeated listens bear new fruits. Highly recommended.

The second album by the second incarnation of the Miles Davis Quintet, this album is jazz the way it was meant to be played. The songs are highly adventurous, stretching the rules of hard bop and of jazz in general, and the solos are, at times, awe-inspiring. Davis is in rare form -- the aging trumpeter sounds younger than ever, sometimes playing quite fast, but always smooth and with that very specific flavor he always brings. This is especially notable on "Orbits," where he plays energetically over a frantic rhythm with an overall angular tone to the song. Saxophonist Wayne Shorter proves himself equally worthy by delivering some snaky solos over complicated chord changes. He shines particularly on "Footprints," which features a deceptively simple bass line and quirky, unpredictable rhythm changes. Pianist Herbie Hancock adds his signature elements to each song, particularly the ballad "Circle," in which he delivers arguably one of the most beautiful solos of his career. Bassist Ron Carter is a fine bassist in his own right, always in the background but always active and always searching. Finally, drummer Tony Williams gives an exhilarating performance, laying much of the groundwork for the fusion breakthrough of the late 60's. He is especially notable on the funky "Freedom Jazz Dance," which mysteriously slinks in and out of a funk beat, and suggesting the tonalities of the fusion music to come. This album is not only a collection of six exciting jazz songs, it also signals toward the music Davis would be making a few years later, especially with the aforementioned "Footprints" and "Freedom Jazz Dance." This is arguably the best album by this group, and what a group it is! I highly recommend this album for any jazz fan. It may be a little confusing at first to someone not used to this style of music, but I think that in time, anybody's life could be a little richer with Miles Smiles in their CD player.