Miles Davis, the trumpeter who left a lasting legacy in jazz, was born on May 26, 1926. This year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. On this occasion, let’s revisit some of Miles Davis’s timeless masterpieces, remastered on LP in recent years, specifically in mono. Sony Music has released several of his LPs as part of its “Jazz Analog Legendary Collection.” Around the mid-1950s, when Miles Davis’s playing suddenly began to attract attention, mono records were still the dominant format. Although stereo equipment was beginning to appear on the market, it hadn’t yet become widely adopted, and monaural sound remained the mainstream. And then stereo records eventually became the norm; however, original monaural records remain highly valued to this day. All three of the following albums have been newly remastered and cut by Sony Music and are the latest monaural releases.
#322 Fantastical Midnight World Depicted by Miles
Round About Midnight / Miles Davis
(Sony Music SIJP-1024)
“Round About Midnight” is the album that catapulted Miles Davis to fame. This was Miles Davis’s first work under contract with Columbia Records in the United States, and the recording took place in three separate sessions starting in the fall of 1955.
The title track is a masterpiece written by Thelonious Monk, and Miles’s trumpet perfectly captures the mystical atmosphere of midnight. By then, Miles had triumphantly crafted his own unique style of expression, mesmerizing listeners with his iconic muted trumpet sound. After the theme, the horn section lets out a dynamic roar, leading into a thrilling performance featuring Coltrane’s powerful tenor saxophone solo. The thrill of those sounds leaping out from the very center of the speakers[咲白1.1] is something unique to monaural sound. Miles Davis’s unique aesthetic is condensed in every performance, from the light and breezy rendition of ＜All of You＞ with a mute, to the Swedish folk song ＜Dear Old Stockholm.＞ Although Columbia Records was interested in stereo recording at the time, they began by releasing stereo versions of classical music records first. Therefore, the original release of “Round About Midnight” was only available in mono. This LP was meticulously produced using master recordings of the original tapes.
#323 Magnificent “Lyric Poem of Spain” by Miles Davis and Gil Evans
Sketches of Spain / Miles Davis, Gil Evans
(Sony Music SIJP-1169)
“Sketches of Spain,” a collaboration by Miles Davis and Gil Evans, can be described as a “Lyric Poem of Spain.”
The collaboration between the distinctive arranger Gil Evans and Miles Davis began in the late 1940s when Miles visited Gil’s apartment to exchange ideas, but their partnership flourished in the late 1950s. “Sketches of Spain,” along with “Miles Ahead” (recorded in 1957) and “Porgy and Bess” (recorded in 1958), is sometimes referred to as the Miles-Gill trilogy. The centerpiece of the album, ＜Concierto de Aranjuez＞, is a masterpiece by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, composed in 1939. Upon hearing a recording of this piece, Miles was so deeply moved that he immediately decided to record it himself and asked Gill to arrange it.
For their adaptation, Miles and Gil focused on the second movement of this piece. Although the original is under 10 minutes, Gil expanded the middle section, creating a grand work that runs over 16 minutes. In addition to the centerpiece, the album features other tracks such as ＜Will O’ the Wisp,＞ an approach to a Falla composition, and Gil’s original ＜Solea,＞ inspired by flamenco, all of which are overflowing with Spanish flair. “Sketches of Spain” was released in the United States in 1960 on mono and stereo records, and both versions appeared in Japan around the same time. As stereo spread, mono became the rarer version. For this album, the remastering and cutting were done using the audio from the original monaural master tapes, which had been preserved in excellent condition.
#324 Most Popular Work Named after Disney Movie Theme Song
SOMEDAY MY PRINCE WILL COME / Miles Davis
(Sony Music SIJP-1021)
Recorded in 1961 and named after the theme song from Walt Disney’s film “Snow White,” this album stands as one of Miles Davis’s most popular works. Using a mute, Miles Davis transforms the charming melody by Frank Churchill, who composed much of the music for Disney animated films, into an outstanding jazz performance. The album features performances by Miles Davis’s regular quintet of the time, with John Coltrane appearing as a guest on two tracks. In contrast to Hank Mobley, the regular tenor saxophonist whose playing carries a strong hint of hard bop, Coltrane delivers a sound above the rest, marked by fiery intensity. The contrast between their two tenor saxophone styles is another interesting aspect.
There are many other highlights, including the tranquil ballads ＜Old Folks＞ and ＜I Think About You,＞ the 6-beat ＜Theo,＞ which features a Spanish mode, and ＜Pfrancing,＞ dedicated to Miles’s wife at the time, Frances Taylor, who is pictured on the album cover. Although this album was released simultaneously in mono and stereo versions in the United States in 1962, there have been almost no reissues of the mono version since then. This mono edition is likely highly valuable. Although this album was released in 2020, it has remained difficult to obtain because it was a limited edition. It has now been repressed and will be back on store shelves in July.
About the Author
Masamichi Okazaki
Surrounded by various kinds of music from his childhood, Masamichi Okazaki joined Waseda University Modern Jazz Club. He started contributing articles to music magazines when he was a student. He covers wide range of music not only trad, modern and contemporary jazz, but also from pops to classics. He writes liner notes for CDs and LPs, and is a regular contributor to “JAZZ JAPAN,” “STEREO,” and others. He joined a big band, “Shiny Stockings,” as a saxophone player. He is a director of The Music Pen Club Japan (MPCJ).
