or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
64 used & new from $3.34

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Available to Download Now
 
Buy the MP3 album for $6.99
 
 
 
 
The Essential Miles Davis
 
See larger image
 

The Essential Miles Davis

Miles Davis
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews) More about this product

List Price: $15.93
Price: $15.93 + $0.05 sourcing fee & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  Special Offers Available
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 17? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
35 new from $7.62 29 used from $3.34
Buy the MP3 album for $6.99 at the Amazon MP3 Downloads store.


Amazon's Miles Davis Store

Miles Davis
Find all the CDs, MP3s, and vinyl, plus photos, videos, biographies, discussions, and more.

Visit Amazon's Miles Davis Store

Frequently Bought Together

The Essential Miles Davis + The Very Best of John Coltrane + Best of Miles Davis & John Coltrane
Price For All Three: $32.93

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Essential Miles Davis ~ Miles Davis

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Very Best of John Coltrane ~ John Coltrane

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Best of Miles Davis & John Coltrane ~ Miles Davis

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Special Offers and Product Promotions


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Best of Miles Davis & John Coltrane

Best of Miles Davis & John Coltrane

~ Miles Davis
4.8 out of 5 stars (13)  $7.98
The Essential Charlie Parker

The Essential Charlie Parker

~ Charlie Parker
4.3 out of 5 stars (14)  $10.99
The Essential Thelonious Monk

The Essential Thelonious Monk

~ Thelonious Monk
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  $7.98
'Round About Midnight

'Round About Midnight

~ Miles Davis
4.8 out of 5 stars (45)  $7.98
Miles Smiles

Miles Smiles

~ Miles Davis
4.9 out of 5 stars (54)  $7.98
Explore similar items

Product Details

  • Audio CD (May 15, 2001)
  • Original Release Date: May 15, 2001
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Label: Sony
  • ASIN: B00005JA24
  • In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,397 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Disc: 1
1. Now's the Time
2. Jeru
3. Compulsion
4. Tempus Fugit
5. Walkin'
6. 'Round About Midnight
7. Bye Bye Blackbird
8. New Rhumba
9. Generique
10. Summertime
See all 13 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. My Funny Valentine
2. E.S.P.
3. Nefertiti
4. Petits Machins
5. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
6. Little Church
7. Black Satin
8. Jean Pierre
9. Time After Time
10. Portia

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis was a major catalyst for the evolution of modern music. This two-CD set--with tracks from the Savoy, Capitol, Blue Note, Prestige, Columbia, and Warner Bros. labels from 1945 to 1986--is an excellent sampler of his limitless creative genius. It features a who's who of the greatest names in the music: drummers Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, and Jimmy Cobb; bassists Paul Chambers and Ron Carter; pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock; and alto and tenor saxophonists Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. Davis's middle-register trumpet accommodated a myriad of styles, from the bebop classic "Now's the Time" to the Snow White waltz "Someday My Prince Will Come" to the modal masterpiece "So What" (from Kind of Blue).

Just as Duke Ellington had Billy Strayhorn, Davis had the gifted arranger Gil Evans. Evans created ingenious stringless orchestral soundscapes around Davis's pithy and personal sound on Ahmad Jamal's "New Rhumba" from Miles Ahead, the in-the-pocket swing of Gershwin's "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess, and the Moorish melodies of "The Pan Piper" from Sketches of Spain. Other classic tracks include the sophisticated classicism of "Jeru" from the 1949-50 Birth of the Cool nonets, the spectral and spare "Générique" from the soundtrack to the 1957 French film Ascenseur pour L'Echafaud, and his romantic rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Simply put, Miles lives. --Eugene Holley Jr.


Related Artists on Tour(What's this?)
Product Ads

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(15)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A compact career overview for those on a tight budget, May 16, 2001
ESSENTIAL's first disc takes the listener from the first session in which Davis was prominently featured (1945's NOW'S THE TIME) through 1961's SOMEDAY MY PRINCE WILL COME. In between these bookends are one or more examples of the late-1940s BIRTH OF THE COOL nonet sides, his early-1950s small group sessions (including the landmark blues WALKIN' from 1954), the late-1950s first great combo with John Coltrane (three tracks chosen), and the Gil Evans-arranged trio of classic albums (one track from each of the three key albums Evans and Davis collaborated on). By the end of disc one Davis was at a crossroads...whether to become a mainstream jazz artist who recycles his past, or an innovator who takes steps forward and continues to challenge himself.

As even casual listeners know, Davis opted for the latter, a bold and risky decision that some would debate but many fans are elated by. The first three tracks on disc two offer live and studio examples of Davis' second great mid-1960's combo. 1968's PETITS MACHINS offers a logical bridge between that combo and Davis' soon-to-follow electric-era music. That 1969-75 period is represented by three tracks, including BLACK SATIN from the 1972's ON THE CORNER. In late-1975, Miles left the music scene for a few years...the last three tracks sample his last decade of musical activity, ending with his death in 1991. Davis remained capable of brilliant, emotively-deep solos throughout his life, as the final track PORTIA (1986) indicates.

One can quibble about the choices: I would have liked to have seen Miles' brilliant solo from RIGHT OFF (1970/JACK JOHNSON) included. Furthermore, one or two more discs are needed to really create a 3-D overview of Davis' career. Unlike most artists--who are lucky to come up with a CD's worth of memorable material over their lifetime--Miles Davis' career gets shortchanged even by a two-CD set. Nonetheless, all of the music contained here is outstanding. I see ESSENTIAL benefiting listeners who just don't have the time to investigate Davis' career in detail, yet who want to touch bases on every stage of his eclectic career. Highly recommended: spend a few extra dollars and buy this set rather than the one-disc KEN BURNS overview.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars satisfactory "intro to Miles," but dig deeper..., November 29, 2001
By R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
The last thing I would want to do is put anyone off of getting into Miles, so if you're checking out this compilation as someplace to start, you could do worse, especially for the price. From the 1940s through the 1980s there's a lot of ground to cover, a lot of styles. The problem though is that you miss the depth on every one of them. So here are some recommendations as an alternative or as a follow-up to the compilation:

KIND OF BLUE (1959) goes without saying. The compilation gives you only the opening cut, "So What." I wonder how many people have never heard anything by Miles but this one record? Also from the Fifties, COOKIN' WITH THE MILES DAVIS QUINTET (1956) is one of several records with his first great quintet, the one with John Coltrane. For the Sixties, HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PLUGGED NICKEL (1965) captures his second great quintet live in Chicago -- amazing! (This is the one with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.) And for the electric period, most would say start with BITCHES BREW (1969), but I prefer the last record he made before his temporary retirement, PANGAEA (1975), which is 2 discs of jazz-funk fusion, live in Japan.

I saw Miles at the Chicago Auditorium on his comeback tour in 1981 -- it was a great show, but on record most of his Eighties stuff was "Miles lite." Unfortunately, even on this brief sampler, you've got some of this late Miles at the expense of more of his magnificent earlier work.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY, August 4, 2001
By Gordon V. (Washington State) - See all my reviews
To be quite honest...dont waste your money on this 2 cd set. But dont get me wrong, I love Miles Davis, and anything this man ever did was amazing. But to just have 20 some tracks of his work is a crime to yourself. Instead go and buy some of his classic albums to really get the "ESSENTIAL" Miles Davis. But if you want to be stingy buy this.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Satisfiying Intro For Neophytes
I first read about Miles in Mojo (the UK music mag). Their article, "How To Buy... Miles Davis" noted that this was a perfect starting point for the curious. Read more
Published on November 14, 2006 by WalterDigsTunes

5.0 out of 5 stars quint-essential miles
AN EXCELLENT COMPENDIUM OF VINTAGE MILES DAVIS. SHORT OF PURCHASING EVERY ONE OF DAVIS'S RECORDINGS, THIS IS A GREAT CONDENSED PACKAGE FOR MILES AFFICIANADOS AND NEWBIES TO THE... Read more
Published on November 5, 2006 by Ernest E. Vansaw

5.0 out of 5 stars ANYTIME IS THE TIME FOR MILES DAVIS-NOW IS EVEN BETTER!
This collection draws from the ASTONISHING recording career of the great Miles Davis when he was among the best cool jazz trumpet players of them all, performing with Charlie... Read more
Published on October 20, 2005 by Lady Gal Music

4.0 out of 5 stars The album that started my life as a jazz fanatic.
If you don't have this album, pick it up. You will either a) become engrossed in jazz or b) hate it for the rest of your life, but it's worth buying just the same. Read more
Published on July 18, 2005 by finulanu

5.0 out of 5 stars see for Miles
I suppose I first was alerted to the wondrous and varied world of jazz - a world so many seem nervous of entering, for some reason (come on in, we won`t bite, and the water`s... Read more
Published on March 29, 2005 by lowell duluth

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome first disc, okay second disc
Miles is an awesome trumpeter. He really shows off his talent on disc one, which contains a lot of Miles highlights. Read more
Published on March 2, 2005

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb job of condensing amazing Davis' career...
This collection does a superb job of condensing Davis' career from 1945 to 1986 onto two discs. There are 23 songs from 23 different albums and it's chronological so you can... Read more
Published on November 12, 2004 by Stephen Cabral

3.0 out of 5 stars Some Good Moments If Not Quite Essential
Miles Davis is one talented trumpet player. The tones and inflections that this legend displays in his playing style are quite unique not too mention stylish. Read more
Published on October 2, 2002 by G. J Wiener

5.0 out of 5 stars great tribute to a great artist
i am by no means a jazz connisseur, but purchased this cd set to immerse myself into the jazz world. i have had this cd set in my car for months and have yet to take it out! Read more
Published on November 14, 2001 by anniekitty2000

4.0 out of 5 stars A Rock Fan's Perspective...
Buying THE ESSENTIAL MILES DAVIS was a brave purchase for me (even considering that I nabbed a used copy at a low price). Read more
Published on August 20, 2001 by bubba v8.0

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Cozy Revisited. 199 1 minute ago
Reccomendations needed for good Shoegaze/dream pop/neo-psychedelia 5 6 minutes ago
Your views on Amazon's 100 Greatest Indie Albums of All Time 78 10 minutes ago
Name 10 song titles about... 3556 12 minutes ago
Heard today 1287 42 minutes ago
William Parker 2 2 hours ago
Philly Jazz 26 4 hours ago
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




SoundUnwound Says...

The Essential Miles Davis opens new browser window by Miles Davis opens new browser window is mainly Funk, quite Hard bop, with hints of Traditional R&B”

Disagree? Cast your vote now! opens new browser window

Share your knowledge and explore the rest of the music world at SoundUnwound.com opens new browser window

SoundUnwound Logo

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Essential Miles Davis
62% buy the item featured on this page:
The Essential Miles Davis 4.6 out of 5 stars (16)
$15.98
Kind of Blue
19% buy
Kind of Blue 4.8 out of 5 stars (717)
$7.99
'Round About Midnight
8% buy
'Round About Midnight 4.8 out of 5 stars (45)
$7.98
Best of Miles Davis & John Coltrane
6% buy
Best of Miles Davis & John Coltrane 4.8 out of 5 stars (13)
$7.98


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Music by subject:













i.e., each title must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.