Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Springsville [Master]
2. Maids of Cadiz [Master]
3. Duke [Master]
4. My Ship [Master]
5. Miles Ahead [Master]
6. Blues for Pablo [Master]
7. New Rhumba [Master]
8. Meaning of the Blues [Master]
9. Lament [Master]
10. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Master]
11. Springsville [Remake Take 7]
12. Maids of Cadiz [Take 1]
13. Duke [Take 11]
14. My Ship [Take 1]
15. Miles Ahead [Take 4]
16. Blues for Pablo [Take 1]
17. New Rhumba [Take 5]
18. Meaning of the Blues [Rehearsal Take]
19. Lament [Rehearsal Take]
20. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Take 8]
21. [Pause Track] - Miles Davis

Disc 2:

1. Buzzard Song [Master]
2. Bess, You Is My Woman Now [Master]
3. Gone [Master]
4. Gone, Gone, Gone [Master]
5. Summertime [Master] - Miles Davis, Gil Evans Orchestra
6. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess? [Master]
7. Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus) [Master]
8. Fisherman, Strawberry and Devil Crab [Master]
9. My Man's Gone Now [Master]
10. It Ain't Necessarily So [Master]
11. Here Come de Honey Man [Master]
12. I Loves You, Porgy [Master]
13. There's a Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York [Master]
14. Gone [Take 3]
15. Summertime [Take 2] - Miles Davis, Gil Evans Orchestra
16. Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus) [Take 2]
17. I Loves You, Porgy [Take 1, Second Version]
18. There's a Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York [Take 2]
19. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess? [Take 5]
20. Gone [Take 4]
21. [Pause Track] - Miles Davis

Disc 3:

1. Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio) [Master]
2. Will O' the Wisp [Master]
3. Pan Piper [Master]
4. Saeta [Master]
5. Solea [Master]
6. Song of Our Country [Issued Take]
7. Saeta [Full Version of Master]
8. Pan Piper [Take 1]
9. Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio), Pt. 1 [Alternate Take]
10. Song of Our Country [Take 14]
11. [Pause Track] - Miles Davis

Disc 4:

1. Song No. 2 [Master]
2. Once upon a Summertime [Master]
3. Aos Pes da Cruz [Master]
4. Song No. 1 [Master]
5. Wait Till You See Her [Master]
6. Corcovado [Master]
7. Blue Christmas [Master]
8. Nothing Like You [Master]
9. Devil May Care [Master]
10. Time of the Barracudas
11. Falling Water [Take 4]
12. Falling Water [Take 6]
13. Falling Water [Take 8]
14. Falling Water [Take 9]
15. Springsville [Take 5]
16. Maids of Cadiz [Take 11]
17. Maids of Cadiz [Take 11, Insert 1]
18. Lament [Medley: Take 2]
19. Duke [Take 1]
20. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [53225 Issued Version]

Disc 5:

1. Springsville [Rehearsal Sequence]
2. Springsville [Rehearsal with Piano]
3. Maids of Cadiz [Take 9]
4. Maids of Cadiz [Take 10]
5. Maids of Cadiz [Rehearsal Sequence]
6. Count off for the Duke [Take 3] - Miles Davis
7. Duke [Take 8]
8. Duke [Piano Take 3]
9. My Ship [Take 6]
10. Miles Ahead [Rehearsal Sequence]
11. Miles Ahead [Take 12]
12. Miles Ahead [Take 15]
13. Studio Discussion - Miles Davis
14. My Ship [Take 7]
15. Miles Ahead [Piano Insert-Mono]
16. Blues for Pablo [Rehearsal Sequence]
17. New Rhumba [Take 2]
18. Lament [Take 1]
19. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Rehearsal]
20. Studio Discussion - Miles Davis
21. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Piano Take 4]
22. [Pause Track] - Miles Davis

Disc 6:

1. Studio Discussion - Miles Davis
2. Springsville [Take 8 Without Overdubs]
3. Studio Discussion - Miles Davis
4. Miles Ahead [Take 11 Without Overdubs]
5. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Take 3 Without Overdubs]
6. Springsville [Overdub Take 1]
7. Springsville [Overdubbed Solos 4-5]
8. Springsville [Overdubbed Solos 6-9]
9. Springsville [Issued Overdubbed Solo]
10. Miles Ahead [Issued Overdubbed Solo]
11. Miles Ahead [Overdubbed Solo]
12. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Overdubbed Solo 1]
13. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Overdubbed Solo 2]
14. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Overdubbed Solo 8]
15. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Overdubbed Solo 19 & 19C]
16. Miles Ahead [Mono Master]
17. Gone [Rehearsal Sequence]
18. Gone, Gone, Gone [Rehearsal Sequence]
19. Studio Discussion - Miles Davis
20. Bess, You Is My Woman Now [Rehearsal Take]
21. It Ain't Necessarily So [Take 1]
22. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess? [Take 3]
23. I Loves You, Porgy [Rehearsal Sequence]
24. There's a Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York [Remake]
25. My Man's Gone Now [Remake Take]
26. Song of Our Country [Take 9]
27. Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio) [Rehearsal]
28. Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio) [Alternate Ending]
29. [Pause Track] - Miles Davis

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42394 in Music
• Released on: 1996-09-03
• Number of discs: 6
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: 1.17 pounds

Amazon.com
From their first work together on the Birth of the Cool sessions in 1949, Miles Davis and Gil Evans forged a unique relationship as great soloist and brilliant arranger. The real opportunity to explore their shared vision didn't come until 1957, however, when Davis had forged a relationship with a major record label able to support it. Though a product of the big-band tradition, Evans was never limited by sectional voicings and riffs. He had an interest in unusual instrumentation and a talent for creating subtle mixes of distinct voices, adding French horns, oboe, bassoon, and harp to the conventional big band and thinning its saxophone, trumpet, and trombone sections. His arrangements for Davis are like settings for the finest jewels, whether he's creating rich, brass chords or adding only light percussion to the trumpeter's solitary lament. Together Davis and Evans produced three orchestral masterpieces: Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy and Bess (1958), and Sketches of Spain (1960). They're all here, along with less-inspired, later projects like the Quiet Nights bossa nova album. What most distinguishes the box set is the archival work of Phil Schaap, who has compiled a wealth of alternate takes. They reveal much about the processes that went into these works, including extensive editing and even some overdubbing. As early as 1957, Evans and Davis were already beginning to use the studio itself as an integral part of their music. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Deserves Superlatives
A great collection. Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain are three of Miles' greatest works, meaning three of the greatest jazz albums, and Porgy and Bess may be the finest recording of that music ever.

The collaboration with Gil Evans was an odd one if you consider the two personalities, but a wonderful one musically. Both were always curious and restless about what could be done, and Evans created this beautiful sound [heavily indebted to Stravinsky] as a bed for Miles' lyricism.

What the set collections is every bit of recording behind the original albums; not just alternate takes but false starts. It's interesting to hear how these extras show that the ensemble flaws in Porgy and Bess are probably attributable to Evans conducting. There are plenty of other curiousities, especially the 'Quiet Nights' session, which, although Miles vehemently objected to its release, is not a bad record, just not up to the previous standards. Another thoughtful bit is the bit of empty space that can be programmed in to break up the constant flow of one tune to the next on Miles Ahead.

I think the previous reviewers complaints about the transfer are unfounded. I've gone through the original vinyl, the first CD reissues and now this set, and while this set is superior to the first CDs, it is also no inferior to the vinyl. The CD sound is brighter and more transparent, and while the bass has less presence than on the LPs, it also has a clearer tone and timbre, where it is often just a thud. It's a matter of taste, and this set is the sweetest of all.

excellent listening
The old addage goes that opposites attract, and in the world of music, this is, in many cases, a recipe for absolute disaster or absolute inspiration. In the case of Miles Davis and Gil Evans, only inspiration came from this.

The works that comprise the lps "Miles Ahead," "Porgy and Bess," "Sketches of Spain," and "Quiet Nights," are meshing jazz with orchestral sensibilities, with Miles' lyricism not dissimilar to Nat King Cole singing standards behind an orchestra. More than many of his jazz lps, the depth of Miles Davis is found in his ensemble playing on these recordings. The works were no easy task for him to play- demanding parts, to be sure- but Miles rose to the occasion again and again, with Evans' parts coaxing pure magic from the Man With the Horn.

The heretofore bootlegged unreleased tracks from Miles X-Mas songs to a session from 1968(!) are even more valuable additions to your collection and again show the breadth and depth of Miles as both a loyal friend to Evans, and as a player.

Amazing tracks, and an amazing collection.

amazing
This is a great box set. Miles made some of his best music working along Gil Evans. 3 of their original albums are in this set: Miles ahead, Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain. each of these three is a jazz classic. The set also includes the album Quiet Nights. These 4 discs are essential in any jazz collection. The remaining 2 CDs have outtakes, alternative cuts and miscellaneous studio recordings. The mainfault with this box isits price(budget conscious buyers would do well buying the individual remastered albums). The othe flaw if that the packaging is rather cumbersome with each CD placed in a cardboard sleeve replica of the album and everything is bound togetherwith a book in a thick metallic spine.

Overall - 5stars because the music is brilliant but some might prefer to buy the original albums ( now that columbia records has remastered them)