There is no question that Miles Davis is one of greatest artists to walk the face of the earth. He has recorded many albums with Charlie Parker which lead to him having an extensive career as a leader where he was always at the forefront of the music. Miles Davis was always the one to change jazz music to the next sound. By the 1960’s and 70’s Miles had gone to so many different places in the world and receiving inspiration from everywhere. Also this is my favorite time period for him.
In my opinion, these are the 3 best Miles Davis albums from the 60’s and 70’s.
1. The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer was recorded in May of 1967 and released in December that same year. This entire album is full of hits, and was mostly written by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and pianist Herbie Hancock. The track Sorcerer was written by Herbie and a fast modal swing tune where drummer Tony Williams is pushing that beat hard with his polyrhythms and strong grooving beat. Also it is different in the fact that Miles and Wayne don’t take individual solos, but they trade the entire time. It is just amazing how they respond to each other and keep the energy moving.
2. Miles in the Sky
Miles in the Sky was recorded in January and May of 1968 and was released in September that same year. This was such a great recording for several reasons. The music is great, he begins to change members in his band, and this was Miles’ introduction to using electric instruments in his band. You hear George Benson doing his thing. My favorite song on the album is Black Comedy. The melody is so simple, but the feel of it is so complex in terms of placement. Although all the songs are great Miles only performed one of them in live settings. That would be Paraphernalia.
3. B!#ches Brew
B!#ches Brew was recorded in August 1969 and was released January 1970. Now I don’t know if this is the first album to do this but it is an inventive concept, the album plays like a seamless playlist. The songs interweave together where you don’t necessarily just know when one song ends and the next begins. This album is all about interaction, and it is all electric. Even Miles has his trumpet electrified. He use effects like delay and distortion in various points. My favorite song is Pharaoh’s Dance. The melody that Miles plays is just the perfect thing to play.