Milestones Davis

Milestones is another savory classic from Miles Davis’s sextet. The jump-off, Jackie McLean’s “Dr. Jekyll,” showcases not only Davis’s flying speed on trumpet (Diz’s style), but also the delicious dual saxophones from John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley. The tilte track, which comes from Davis’s pen, is a masterpiece. In contrast to the swift solos from his saxophonists, Davis’s plays fewer notes, but his blowing is so damn cool in the modal style. The album closes out with an invigorating rendition of Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser,” in which William “Red” Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and “Philly” Joe Jones on drums have done a fantastic job of keeping the rhythm section swinging for Trane to lay down his sheets-of-sound signature. Tony Williams, one of Davis’s favorite drummers who loved to play the title track, once told his chief that Milestones was “the definitive jazz album of all time” because “the spirit in it of everyone who plays jazz.” Miles was astonished and replied, “No shit!?”