That speaks to his skills not just as a trumpeter, but as an artist who honed the sound design of his ensemble from the stage. You’ll note a theme as we go along: the sonic integration of Davis’ bands. Not as crazy as it might seem at first blush. Dude has this remarkable-and it is remarkable-collection of March 1960 recordings from Europe in the 10 spot.
Sacrilege! Okay, let’s get it out of the way. I think that this list of the 10 best live Miles Davis recordings-confining ourselves to whole records or dates-would cause the man himself to say, “Other level.” The blending of the entertainment, the innovation, the art, and that Miles-ian quality where you’re awed and think he can’t go any higher, any realer, before he does, in the next bar, and then higher and realer again. A combo.īut for a primer, we’re going to hit you with a list. Even when it doesn’t outright “work” as art, it works as entertainment. But where to begin, right? Is the amount of material not overwhelming?įirst, here’s a tip that has served me well, mostly because it’s true: You can’t go wrong with any of it. I’d suggest imagining that you’re at the venue in question, hearing Davis alongside others who are also hearing him.
