Cool & Collected
Miles Davis
Carlos Santana, Tony Williams, Dave Holland, John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, John Scofield, John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
Producer: Teo Macero, Steve Berkowitz
Legacy Recordings, 2006
1 CD
Catalogue #: 84784
EAN: 0828768478424
UPC: 828768478424
You save: 20%
Personnel include: Miles Davis (trumpet); John McLaughlin , John Scofield, Carlos Santana (guitar); Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (alto saxophone); John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock, Red Garland (piano); Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul (keyboards); Paul Chambers, Ron Carter (upright bass); Philly Joe Jones, Tony Williams (drums).
Recording information: 1958 - 1984.
This best-of focuses on the jazz trumpeter Miles Davis's more accessible work from throughout four decades of his career, representing his 1950s and '60s output with cool jazz cuts like "Summertime," "Generique," and "Stella By Starlight." Though this selection bypasses the musician's pricklier experimental early-'70s period, by way of compensation it includes his achingly pretty 1985 version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," as well as his smooth jazz cover of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature."
Tracklist
Miles Davis
Few musicians have managed to change the course of music--trumpeter Miles Davis did it several times. An early disciple of Charlie Parker, Davis created an austere, understated approach that became the model for cool. His superb albums in the 1950s made him a star, and in the following decade, he brought small-group jazz to the limit before he unapologetically (and, for some, unforgivably) took on jazz-rock. After a break, he re-emerged in the '80s with a mixture of pop and dense, bristling funk. All the while, his refusal to follow anyone but his own muse made him both a hero and an enigma--either way, he was one of the most magnetic, influential figures in American music.
John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin first made his mark in Tony Williams' Lifetime and on Miles Davis' landmark proto-fusion albums of the late '60s. He then went on to form the Mahavishnu Orchestra, which spearheaded the fusion movement of the '70s and made the guitarist an international star. Subsequent projects have found him exploring a multitude of musical avenues, from subdued acoustic settings to incendiary electric jazz, all of which express his intent to expand musical possibilities.
Wayne Shorter
Tenor man Wayne Shorter was one of the foremost figures in jazz saxophone in the latter half of the 20th century. A hugely influential figure, he combined classical-influenced lyricism, bop fire, post-bop viscerality, and free-jazz adventurism. Over the decades, he was in some of the most important groups in jazz history, including Miles Davis's famed '60s quintet and fusion pioneers Weather Report. On his own, he released landmark albums touching on everything from hard bop to the avant garde to world music. His latter-day recordings found him pursuing a more commercial sound, but his pioneering work will never be forgotten or diminished.
Chick Corea
Chick Corea took the piano in new directions following the monumental achievements of McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans. His pioneering electric piano playing with Miles Davis helped shape the sound of fusion in the late '60s. He then turned to acoustic, free-form improv with the group Circle before forming the seminal fusion band Return to Forever. Throughout his lengthy career, Corea has drawn on bebop, Latin, rock, and classical influences to make his mark as both a soloist and a composer.
John Scofield
A post-bopper who emerged from his early-'80s Miles Davis stint brandishing the funk, Scofield has a well-earned place in the pantheon of contemporary jazz guitarists. He has a distinctive, edgy sound that draws on both rock and jazz. His playing seamlessly combines post-Coltrane harmonics and a deep passion for the blues.
John Coltrane
Through both the force of his music and his personal character, saxophonist John Coltrane remains among the most influential jazz artists of all time. After a stint with the classic Miles Davis band of the late 1950s, the tenor titan embarked on a decade of staggering creativity. With the daunting GIANT STEPS, he exploded the possibilities of post-bop harmony; subsequently, he formed his "classic quartet" with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones--the ideal group for Coltrane's ever-expanding sonic vocabulary. As the '60s progressed, he also added the soprano sax to the mix and explored the use of modes, before finally moving on to the inspired free playing on records such as ASCENSION and INTERSTELLAR SPACE in his last years.
