Top 102 Albums⁺ Minus 3
Sketches of Spain - Miles Davis
Life seems just a little more dramatic and exotic when this album is on in the background. It brings colours to the dullest day. It is an album that gets played regularly even if there was never a time when it was on constant rotation, seeming to have slowly insinuated itself into my consciousness.
I could have picked a number of other Davis albums. He was both consistent and ever changing and is one of the few artists that remained essential over decades. I could have picked Kind of Blue or Bitches Brew, Porgy and Bess or The Birth of the Cool. It could even be that this album will be replaced in the future by one of the albums I haven't listened to.
I almost feel guilty for having a 'jazz' album that is not 'difficult' in any sense. This is music to sink into, like a hot bath at the end of a hard day. Miles blowing some sunshine your way, though not without drama and tension.
Love it. Was listening to this recently in Corsica; led me on to the Cool/Hot recordings of Gil Evans; I really recommend 'Out of the Cool' and 'Into the Hot'. You can buy them here as a 4 pack for less than £8.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Albums-Bottle-Great-Standards/dp/B00AZZ668K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371491336&sr=8-1&keywords=gil+evans
No one blocks up a horns section like Gil... reminds me of Mike Gibbs' later work...
Tried this again....cool jazz.. I prefer it hot.. I would go with Tijuana Moods by Charlie mingus...in particular Ysabel's table dance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGsVqF-URXc... sets the pulse rating.
ReplyDeleteBrendan