MILES DAVIS - SKETCHES OF SPAIN

TITLE

1.    Concierto De Aranjuez
2.    Will O’ The Wisp
3.    The Pan Piper
4.    Saeta
5.    Solea

Rarely has Miles Davis painted so expressively and freely with colors. “Sketches Of Spain” is the third of four albums (“Miles Ahead”, “Porgy And Bess” and “Quiet Nights”) on which Davis collaborated with composer and arranger Gil Evans and an orchestra. In Evans, he found a like-minded partner who helped him bring out tones, shades, layers and textures. What they achieved together is still considered groundbreaking in the 21st century! “Sketches Of Spain” is also considered one of Miles Davis' most accessible albums. Because there was less improvisation on this album than on others, some of Miles' contemporaries did not classify it as jazz. According to Rolling Stone, Davis responded, “It's music, and I like it”! Nevertheless, the album was awarded a Grammy for Best Jazz Composition in 1961. In 2003, “Sketches Of Spain” ranked 356th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Jazzwise magazine included the album in its list of “The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World”.

Programmatically, “Sketches Of Spain” is based on Spanish folk music, a development that began with “Flamenco Sketches” on the legendary “Kind Of Blue”. Miles Davis and Gil Evans combined Spanish themes, lush orchestrations, romantic timbres and Davis' lyrical methods into a delicate ceremony that still resonates more than six decades after its original release. Whether it's the dark piece “Concierto De Aranjuez”, made famous by Davis' flugelhorn playing, or “Solea”, based on a folk legend, “Sketches Of Spain” captivates with its extraordinary ideas and innovations. Miles Davis, bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Jimmy Cobb, percussionist Elvin Jones and an 18-piece orchestra create a breathtaking atmosphere: polyphonic motifs, short improvised solos, fanfare-like swings and contrapuntal changes characterize the flamenco-spiced pieces. Davis' famous Harmon-muted trumpet is complemented by a selection of bassoons and French horns.

AudioNautes now pays tribute to this classic with a sonically outstanding, strictly numbered and limited edition UHQCD. The AAD remaster is taken from a copy of the original stereo master.

UHQCD stands for Ultimate High Quality Compact Disc and is a joint development of the Japanese CD replication company Memory-Tech and the Audio Quality CD Company from Hong Kong. Unlike conventional CDs, UHQCDs are not pressed from polycarbonate, but cast from a photopolymer and cured with UV light. Another layer of high-purity polycarbonate is applied to the softer photopolymer for scratch protection. The combination results in significantly reduced reflection of laser light inside the CD and an unmatched precise edge transition between pits and lands of the CD. UHQCDs are 100% compatible with standard CD players. Musically, the result is a sound image strongly reminiscent of analog master tapes.