Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain [One Step]

Titel

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

Rarely has Miles Davis painted with sound so expressively and freely. 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 kindred spirit who helped him shape tones, shades, layers, and textures. Their achievement remains groundbreaking well into the 21st century.

The album is also considered one of Davis’ most accessible works. Because it features less improvisation than many of his other recordings, some contemporaries did not classify it as jazz. According to Rolling Stone, Davis responded: “It’s music, and I like it!” Nevertheless, it won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Composition in 1961. In 2003, it ranked 356th in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Jazzwise included it in “The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World.”

Conceptually, the album draws on Spanish folk music – a direction that began with “Flamenco Sketches” on the legendary Kind Of Blue. Davis and Evans blended Spanish themes, lush orchestrations, romantic tonal colors, and Davis’ lyrical approach into a delicate ceremony that still resonates more than six decades later. From the dark “Concierto De Aranjuez,” made famous by Davis’ flugelhorn, to the folk-inspired “Solea,” the album stands out for its innovation and originality.

With Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), Elvin Jones (percussion), and an 18-piece orchestra, a breathtaking atmosphere unfolds. Polyphonic motifs, brief improvised solos, fanfare-like passages, and contrapuntal transitions shape the flamenco-infused compositions. Davis’ signature Harmon-muted trumpet is complemented by bassoons and French horns.

AudioNautes Recordings now presents the ultimate edition of Sketches Of Spain as a sonically stunning OneStep pressing. This ANR reissue is released as a double LP on 200-gram vinyl, cut at 45 RPM. Experience this masterpiece in unprecedented sound quality – and act quickly, as this limited edition will sell out fast.

• Miles Davis: Arrangeur, Trompete, Flügelhorn
• Gil Evans: Arrangeur, Dirigent
• Johnny Coles: Trompete
• Bernie Glow: Trompete
• Taft Jordan: Trompete
• Louis Mucci: Trompete
• Ernie Royal: Trompete
• John Barrows: Waldhorn
• James Buffington: Waldhorn
• Earl Chapin: Waldhorn
• Tony Miranda: Waldhorn
• Joe Singer: Waldhorn
• Dick Hixon: Posaune
• Frank Rehak: Posaune
• Bill Barber: Tuba
• Jimmy McAllister: Tuba
• Danny Bank: Bassklarinette
• Albert Block: Flöte
• Eddie Caine: Flöte
• Harold Feldman: Klarinette, Flöte, Oboe
• Romeo Penque: Oboe
• Jack Knitzer: Fagott
• Paul Chambers: Bass
• Jimmy Cobb: Schlagzeug
• Elvin Jones: Percussion
• José Mangual Sr.: Percussion (auf Track 1)
• Elden „Buster” Bailey: Percussion (Tracks 2–5)
• Janet Putnam: Harfe