723 Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain (1960)

 723 Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain (1960)

Studio Album - Orchestral Jazz


About the Act:

Miles Davis was one of the best-known and most influential jazz trumpeters the world has ever known. He is credited with being at the forefront of several types of jazz, modal jazz in the late 50s early 60s, and Jazz-Rock fusion in the late 60s early 70s are the most prominent. He was active from 1944 until his death in 1991 with a short hiatus between 1975 and 1980. I think he made 56 studio albums. 

About the Album: 

This album contains interpretations of some Spanish Classical music, particularly Concerto Des Aranguez by Rodrigo, but also some da Falla.

My History with this Album:

None

Review:

Well, it's a somewhat unusual album, and may have been considered more so at it's release. Miles Davis has taken Spanish Classical music and re-interpreted it in a not-quite-jazz style. This is mostly played on brass, with some backing and occasional shaky percussion. It's played in a very muted kind of way, which makes it quite sensual and evocative. I would say that my enjoyment of it was enhanced by knowing the pieces of music, or most of them, and the interpretations are interesting, without breaking the feel of the pieces. This seems to be a quite serious attempt to bring some of this music to a wider audience. Apparently at the time it was not hugely popular, but the main piece, Concerto Des Aranguez, is now a mega-popular classical piece.

It sounds mysterious, and almost Arabian at times, but that basically harks to the Moorish influence in Spain. It sounds hot and deserty, you can almost imagine it being played in a Souk in Marrakesh, while the sun bakes the red sand outside. I don't actually know if they have Souks in Marrakesh, or red sand. I think they have their share of baking sun, though. It's kind of mellow and subdued, but not in a mellow and relaxed way, more mellow and mysterious, and maybe just a tiny bit menacing.

I liked it. I don't think it is his best album, but it is far from his worst. At a distance of 60 years I would now say it is pretty accessible, a nice instrumental album, possibly a good one to do a jigsaw to.

7/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2xyhltm9XWSQ5xok4C81BD

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSS5p9BdNGU

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sketches_of_Spain



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990)

Image
 840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990) Compilation (double) - Girl Group (Soul/Bobby Soxer/Do-Wop) About the Album: This is a highly acclaimed compilation in 2CDs by Rhino Records. It's the sort of thing that in this country you might expect to see at 3.99 in a Garden Centre. My History with this Album: None Review: There are not many multi-artist compilations in this series for reviewing. There is not information about it on Wikipedia, but the reception seems to have been positive. It is choc-full of hits with a smattering of lesser-known songs, and it's hard not to imagine Grease or similar situations - girls with cardigans and white socks, listening to the juke box while sipping milkshakes in the drug store. On one level it's a fun collection of songs that you could use to feel nostalgic, or as the music for a themed party. On another level it's kind of like a cultural artefact. I feel honour-bound to describe it, even though if I drop
Read more

944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001)

Image
 944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001) Studio Album - World Music About the Act: Manu Chao is a French-Spanish musician of Spanish descent who grew up on the outskirts of Paris. In the mid-80s he was in a Spanish/English rockabilly group called Hot Pants. In 1987, with his brother and cousin he founded the band Mano Negra, combining punk and world music influences and playing on the Paris Metro. This band took off and had 4 studio albums. In 1995 Manu "went solo", forming the band Radio Bemba Sound System to be his backing band. The punk elements were less prominent, but he started to make music that "replicates the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures". He has been really popular in parts of Europe.  About the Album: This album was Manu Chao's second studio album as a "solo" artist. In Spanish, the name means "Next Station: Hope", after a real station on the Madrid Metro. The album reached top 10 slots
Read more

591 Harry Smith, Ed. - Anthology of American Folk Music (1952)

Image
 591 Harry Smith, Ed. - Anthology of American Folk Music (1952) Compilation Album - Americana About the Act: Harry Smith is not the performer here, he is the collector. He was a film-maker, occultist, and eccentric. About the Album: Harry Smith had a collection of early 78rpm records of various "folk" styles dated from 1927 when such things first started to be commercially available to 1932 when the Great Depression put a stop to the sales of folk records. In 1947 he approached a label, Folkway Records, about releasing a collection of them transferred onto LPs. This they did in 1952, without seeking copyright permission, making this technically a bootleg. It was released as three double-LP boxed sets, and sold very poorly. In the first year it sold 50 copies, 47 to libraries and colleges. It was reissued later, and gained traction and sold better. It now has a reputation for being one of the most influential compilations in the history of Americana, and is cited as being a ma
Read more