Miles Davis - Sketches Of Spain

Columbia - LP
French 1963 Stereo pressing
Jazz / Orchestra / Spain

A major achievement from Miles, at a time when he would achieve great things on a monthly basis. Haunting, highly dramatic, Sketches of Spain feels like the opposite of a silent film: a film made exclusively of sound. 

I Used to dismiss this LP as a teenager, when I first dived into Miles Davis's discography. I don't know whether it was its orchestral nature or its Spanish trope that turned me off then. And so, It's another classic I discovered again 15 years ago, and it stroke me as an astonishing record (one of the best parts of aging is seeing one's tastes shift).

What I may like the most about this record now, is how minimal Gil Evan's arrangements are (even reaching a drone-like quality on Saeta), and yet, producing a very dramatic effect. It's all cinematic, especially on the final 12-min maze that is Solea. And I did not even mentioned the most iconic tune on the record, the epic rendition of the Concierto for Aranjuez...

Anyway, some people have written much better things about this record than these few words - they probably even wrote essays about it. Maybe the time has finally come for you to discover this album, just like me. (VG+ / VG+)

Tracklist

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