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Miles Davis - Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in the Sky CD (album) cover

MILES DAVIS QUINTET: MILES IN THE SKY

Miles Davis

 

Jazz Rock/Fusion

4.03 | 120 ratings

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darkshade
5 stars This is the first Miles Davis album to showcase anything resembling jazz-rock. This is the Second Great Quintet, augmented with George Benson on guitar for Paraphernalia. This album has such a great lineup with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter, and Ron Carter. Hancock is using electric piano for (from what i know) the first time, and Ron Carter using an electric jazz bass. Tony Williams, who was probably the catalyst for Miles going into the jazz-rock direction, utilizing rock beats during certain moments on this album. Aside from these revolutionary advances in Miles Davis' music, this is still great 60s jazz as only Miles Davis could deliver, just with the twists i just mentioned. The phrases and chord sequences are still jazz by the strictest sense, but hey, Miles had to start somewhere. And this is it. This is the (un)official start to Electric Miles, which never stopped until his death in 1991.

The music is amazing. This is the Second Great Quintet at their finest. Stuff, with its haunting melody and great use of electric piano, gives this song a real jazz-rock/fusion feel. And Paraphernalia, with Miles Davis' first use of electric guitar on any of his albums. George Benson, though i dont agree with the direction he took a few years after this album came out, was and still is one of the best jazz guitarists ever. His solo on Paraphernalia is sooooo good, you must hear it to know what I'm talking about.

It's a shame this album and Filles de Kilimanjaro are so underrated. Mostly because of the following 2 albums In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew for their controversial, innovative, and powerful music. So much that MITS and FdK have this giant shadow upon them. Needless to say, this album is essential for discovering the roots of jazz-rock and for any Miles Davis fan. I will however give this album 4 stars, because well, it is not a masterpiece.

As I said, this is still jazz. However, for those seeking the origins of jazz-rock, this is one album that dates way before the jazz-rock boom. Miles may not have been the first to fuse jazz with rock, but he wasn't far behind!

darkshade | 5/5 |

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