Miles Davis Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (1965-1968) CD

THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS (1965-1968) includes every track from the albums E.S.P., MILES SMILES, SORCERER, NEFERTITI, MILES IN THE SKY as well as portions of WATER BABIES, CIRCLE IN THE ROUND, DIRECTIONS and FILLES DE KILIMANJARO that featured the quintet. This release includes a 116-page booklet enclosed in a scrapbook-like packager with an engraved metal binder.
Miles Davis Quintet: Miles Davis (trumpet, chimes); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer piano, electric harpsichord, celeste); Ron Carter (acoustic & electric basses); Tony Williams (drums).
Additional personnel: George Benson, Joe Beck, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Buster Williams (bass).
Producers: Irving Townsend, Howard A. Roberts, Teo Macero.
Reissue producers: Michael Cuscuna, Bob Belden.
Engineers include: Frank Laico, Fred Plaut, Stan Tonkel.
Recorded between January 20, 1965 and June 21, 1968. Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna, Todd Coolman and Bob Belden.
Digitally remastered by Mark Wilder and Rob Schwarz (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York).
THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS (1965-1968) won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Album Notes and was nominated for Best Boxed Recording Package.
There's little argument that the quintet Miles Davis led between 1965 and 1968 was one of the classic combos in the history of jazz. By teaming with the adventurous young musicians Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums), Davis pushed mainstream jazz toward the avant-garde, expanding on the modal jazz he inaugurated with Kind of Blue and laid the groundwork for fusion. Four of their five studio albums -- ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti -- were essential, and even when they were slightly off the mark, as on Miles in the Sky, they were still filled with provocative sounds and ideas. That's the reason why The Miles Davis Quintet 1965-'68: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings is an essential release. It contains all the music from each of the five studio records, plus half of the material released on Filles De Kilimanjaro and Water Babies, as well as several alternate takes and 13 previously unreleased selections. There's no question that this material is necessary for any jazz collection, but this may not necessarily be the best way to acquire it. The strict chronological sequencing is according to session order, which means the sequencing of the original albums -- which was quite effective in conveying the combo's ideas -- is thrown out of line, and the long stretches where alternates and master takes are back to back may be tedious to some listeners. Also, packaging all the discs within cardboard mock-record sleeves in a bound booklet may look attractive, but it's impractical and not designed for heavy listening. In other words, this music is essential, and this set will appeal to most serious jazz fans and historians, but less dedicated listeners are better served by the original albums. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
After hiring Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams for the New York sessions of SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN, Miles Davis combed through a series of saxophonists until settling on Wayne Shorter to complete his second great quintet. From their first complete recording as a unit, E.S.P. (1965), to their last session for FILLES DE KILIMANJARO (1968), this group profoundly changed the face of modern jazz. This recorded history has been beautifully preserved and presented in this staggering collection, THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS 1965-68.
From the beginning it is evident that the music herein is of an unmatched quality and power. The genius of Hancock, the melodic invention of Shorter, the solidity of Carter's foundation and the thundering torrent of Williams all gels into a cohesive symphony of sound under the guiding hand of the Prince of Darkness, himself. The listener is able to trSpin (6/98, p.131) - 10 (out of 10) - "...Marked by daring improvisations and telepathic interplay...the albums collected on THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS unite defenders and despoilers of jazz tradition in matrimonial bliss. If this comprehensive six-CD box set breaks the bank, the pearless original albums are individually waiting at the register..."
Entertainment Weekly (3/27/98, pp.66-67) - "...a six-CD, 7 1/2 hour summary of perhaps the greatest phase of a great career....It's only with 30 years' hindsight that we can grasp how radical he was....Here was music that worked on two levels: Beguiling to newcomers, it gave hardcore fans infinite opportunities to plumb its depths..." - Rating: A
Down Beat (4/98, pp.56-57) - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5) - "...for anyone interested in Miles Davis, in Wayne Shorter, in jazz during this period or its impact on the present day, this box contains essential music..."
Vibe (4/98, p.158) - "...this remarkable box set shows that, in just three short years, Miles had again cornered the market on inventiveness, excellence, and genius."
Musician (5/98, pp.85-86) - "...a vital documentation of an important transition period in jazz, a lesson in how radically music can change in a short time, and a reminder that such change is necessary for music to stay alive....This is music that can travel anywhere, and frequently does..."