Miles Smiles

Miles Davis - Miles Smiles (1967) {2018 Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs UDSACD 2201}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 272 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 102 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 34 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1967, 2018 Columbia / Sony Music / Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs | UDSACD 2201
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Music / Trumpet

The clarity afforded by history proves Miles Davis' second great quintet vying for the unofficial honor of being the finest small jazz combo to ever record to tape. Originally released in 1966, Miles Smiles is largely responsible for the feat, as it commences a series of five groundbreaking albums – chronologically rounded out by Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Miles in the Sky, and Filles de Kilimanjaro – guided not by chordal patterns but open responses to melodies. Music would never again be the same. Neither will experiencing Miles Smiles once you hear this definitive-sounding hybrid SACD reissue.

Miles Davis - Miles Smiles (1967) [1998 Issue]
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 283 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 96 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi -> 14 Mb
© 1998 Sony Music / Columbia / Legacy | CK 65682
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Music

Miles Davis' restless curiosity would never allow him to look back, and as a result, he sought out new blood and fresh … Full Descriptionchallenges over the course of six decades of innovation. When modernists such as Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane began stretching the parameters of form and improvisation in the early '60s, Davis was leery, even hostile at first.

But as the saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em–and by 1964 Miles had assembled his own dream team of innovative young turks, who began to vivisect the entire Davis book, before moving confidently into uncharted waters. MILES SMILES marks a sea change in which the Miles Davis Quintet really begins to stretch out and confront the avant-garde with a modern thrust of their own–resulting in one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time.

Performances such as "Orbits" and "Ginger Bread Boy" redefine all notions of swing, as Ron Carter and Tony Williams treat the beat in a free-flowing manner, superimposing new chords and meters over a fulminating 4/4 pulse. Pianist Hancock veers away from traditional block chord accompaniments, often providing spare polytonal counterpoint or laying out altogether. Tenor saxophonist Shorter's harmonic and melodic abandon inspire Davis to explore bold new vocal nuances in his phrasing, even as his classic compositions–such as "Footprints"–alter the harmonic language of jazz forever. And from the joyous hyper-funk of "Freedom Jazz Dance" to the serene misterioso of the trumpeter's remarkable ballad "Circles," MILES SMILES defines a new performance standard for collective improvisation.

With their second album, Miles Smiles, the second Miles Davis Quintet really began to hit their stride, delving deeper into the more adventurous, exploratory side of their signature sound. This is clear as soon as "Orbits" comes crashing out the gate, but it's not just the fast, manic material that has an edge - slower, quieter numbers are mercurial, not just in how they shift melodies and chords, but how the voicing and phrasing never settles into a comfortable groove. This is music that demands attention, never taking predictable paths or easy choices. Its greatest triumph is that it masks this adventurousness within music that is warm and accessible - it just never acts that way. No matter how accessible this is, what's so utterly brilliant about it is that the group never brings it forth to the audience…

Miles Davis - Miles Smiles (1966) {2006 DSD Japan Mini LP Edition, SICP 1216}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 286 Mb| MP3 @320 -> 99 Mb | Artwork (web)
© 2006 Sony Music Japan / Columbia | SICP 1216
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

With their second album, Miles Smiles, the second Miles Davis Quintet really began to hit their stride, delving deeper into the more adventurous, exploratory side of their signature sound. This is clear as soon as "Orbits" comes crashing out the gate, but it's not just the fast, manic material that has an edge – slower, quieter numbers are mercurial, not just in how they shift melodies and chords, but how the voicing and phrasing never settles into a comfortable groove. This is music that demands attention, never taking predictable paths or easy choices.