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]

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]

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. Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio), Pt. 2 [Alternate Take]
11. Song of Our Country [Take 14]
12. [Pause Track]

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 Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) [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]
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
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. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Take 5]
21. Studio Discussion
22. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) [Piano Take 4]
23. [Pause Track]

Disc 6:

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65401 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2004-05-11
• Number of discs: 6
• Formats: Box set, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: 1.46 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

The Miles Davis and Gil Evans Box Set - Great Remasters And Incredible Scope For The Completist
The Miles Davis and Gil Evans: Complete Columbia Studio Recordings box set is a treasure trove for those who must have every recording. Less serious fans may want to start with less expensive issues of the individual albums.

Miles Davis has many box sets devoted to him, and this one is by far the most unique. After purchasing several of the Miles Davis box sets that have been re-released by Columbia, I have to say that I am very pleased. Eventually I will get them all, but my love of Gil Evans in addition to Miles is what made me pull the trigger on this set.

For starters, what comes through this set even with a casual listen is the incredible influence that Gil had on the arrangements and approach taken during their greatest collaborations. On many of the tracks, the horn arrangements and solos are pushed center stage, with Gil's play only providing a subtle backdrop. That's typical Gil, though I do wonder what the outcome might have been if he had allowed himself to step forward more in those early years.

Still, the tracks manage to be both incredibly traditional and daring at the same time, and this especially true of the alternate takes. Once you hear the alternate takes, rehearsal tracks, and overdubs it's clear that the sound has to be in large part to Gil's credit. In fact, the only way to describe the sound on some of these tracks is *large*. The encyclopedic inclusion of various alternate takes and rehearsal takes provides tremendous insight and could easily be used by students of this music and history who want to get inside the minds of these recording artists and compare against the final product.

That's another reason why this reissue is so worth getting. While I have no complaints about the original recordings, several of the tracks are so greatly improved by the remastering to almost make the listening experience completely new for me. I am slowly being converted to the remastering camp. If all the reissued box sets sound this good, I may start to purchase multiple copies of each of them. :)

I was somewhat confused by the *placement* of many of the tracks, especially the way certain retakes are split between different disks. At times they correspond to the original albums and at other times they don't. I don't know why Mr. Schaap chose to do it this way, but I am pretty certain there were very good reasons. It does make you wonder, but it doesn't change the fact that these are very listenable disks.

Now because this is a set of the complete studio recordings, there are some tracks here that I am not particularly crazy about. Among them are "Blue Xmas" and "Nothing Like You." Those tracks made me glad that not every song on here has alternate and rehearsal takes included.

The box is certainly attractive, though understated. It is certainly more durable and functional than other recent boxes I have purchased.

As with all Miles Davis sessions under Columbia, these recordings showcase fantastic musicians. Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess are clearly the most highly regarded albums that resulted from Gil's work with Miles, but Sketches of Spain will probably always be my personal favorite of the group. I am also a fond of Quiet Nights, which has probably been over-criticized IMHO. Yet the extra takes means that even if you own those albums you still have a very good reason to purchase this set.

If you haven't yet purchased this set, take this opportunity to add it to your collection.

Enjoy!

The first of 8 deluxe boxes
Shame you can barely find this is in the metal encased box as it was originally released. Glad I snatched it up when it came out in 1997. This is the first RELEASED Columbia boxes that took from 1997 until 2007 to complete. Chronologically , it would be the 2nd box. Fabulous sound on this reissue. The people who put this entire series together did so with extreme care and meticulous detail.The music ? C'mon , it's MILES...put it in your shopping cart !

Too Complete - Many Rehearsal Takes and Re-takes
Somewhat difficult to get into the groove of listening, because the set is more of an academic study of the recording sessions with these two giants of the jazz world.

I will edit the set to separate the listenable from the historic; some charts stop in the middle in order to begin another take.

This set also includes several takes of the same chart, as well as different solo break overdubs.

If you're looking for a set to immediately have for an evening's playlist, you'll need to spend some time picking and choosing. You may prefer to purchase their studio CDs individually. However, it's well worth the journey.

At the end of the day, it's Miles Davis during a very introspective yet lyrical point of his journey, and for me, while I could still understand what he was trying to achieve.