Milestones [Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

Perhaps the jazz conservatives (e.g. Stanley Crouch) would burn me at the stake for the title of this review and yes, the soul-stirring Kind of Blue is certainly the best modal record I've heard, but I much prefer this, since Coltrane and Adderley really leap out and play from the get-go.
Dr. Jackle is absolutely manic to play, a Jackie McLean tune that this quintet seem to delight in playing rather fast. It's excellent hard-bop, and Miles plays an excellent solo which sticks to the middle register, a range which trumpeteers do not explore enough, though this can be only down to the influence of intervallic trumpeters like Dizzy. Listen out for the early duel between Adderley, and Coltrane. Listening to 'Two Bass Hit', it is an interesting contrast to hear it against the version on 'Round About Midnight. The two saxophonists play the opening line, and Red Garland plays the call-and-response piano. Coltrane's solo in this is very different, not relying on cliches, and theres still traces of those idiosyncratic runs of his in the solo. The excellent rhythmic support is almost forgotten in the midst of all this horn interplay. Sid's Ahead is another great piece.
'Milestones', my favourite track on the album, is a wonderful exploration of the modes, and I have to say, that Adderley's solo is certainly more assured and joyous than anything I've heard him play, even on Kind of Blue. If anyone sounds slightly perturbed by this piece, it's actually Coltrane. Garland's repetitive modal riff, keeps the tune pacing along wonderfully. He gets a chance to shine on 'Billy Boy', and his odd locked-hands style is on exhibit here, as well as his Ahmed-Jamal influenced bluesy runs on the piano. Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers are superb on this track too.
The version I've got closes on 'Straight No Chaser', which is a Monk tune. The quintet run through this and render it their own, due to the excellent playing of all the quintet, Adderley tries to match Coltrane's stellar scalar runs, and Coltrane's 'angry' saxophone style is in full flow here. Adderley's solo is wonderfully dissonant at points, forcing the listener to pay attention to what he is playing, and his solo is slightly more lyrical than Coltrane's, who I have to say, finds his modal voice on Kind of Blue.
This album may not be as lyrical or profound as Kind of Blue, but amidst all the recycled babble and attempts to explain Kind of Blue's genius, Milestones still stands the test of time, and benefits from being so unscathed.
I enjoy listening to this record more than Kind of Blue, which is simply a small matter of preference for that is all basically what musical criticism is about at the end of the day (unless you're employed by a firm to write). This record in its own right, is a tour de force, an example of true virtuosity, not just showboating, pretentious jazz, but also a fine portrait of what happens when some of the best musicians come into the studio and just play their arses off. Highly recommended.

Recorded in 1958, nearly 10 years after Miles Davis laid down the foundations of his cool jazz style with the `Birth of the Cool' sessions, this is almost a masterpiece form the great man. Over the preceding years he had continued to evolve the style and build a group of musicians around his that really understood and could work with his musical vision. And for this recording it all started to gel beautifully into some really fine recordings.

The players were at this time a sextet, consisting of Miles (trumpet), Nat Adderly (alto sax), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Even the uninitiated will recognise some huge jazz figures in that list, especially saxophonists Adderly and Coltrane. The wealth of talent in these recordings is breathtaking!

Miles at this time was moving forward again, starting to explore a more modal approach to the music. Using simple melodies as the backbone, the band members go off into complex solos, bouncing off each other in an amazing demonstration of interplay and group dynamic. Anchored in the rhythm section of Chambers and Jones, some exhilarating pieces were the result. Miles' playing is at its lyrical, cool best, as he soars off into the blue yonder, literally miles ahead of the rest.

It's not all great. The best tracks are the relaxed tempo ones such as the superb rendering of Thelonious Monk's `Straight No Chaser', or `Milestones'. There are a couple of uptempo tracks which seem to unsettle the group, disturb the relaxed atmosphere, and feel a little forced as opposed to the very natural, organic feel of the truly great numbers.

This is a fine remastering of the album, with a sound that is clear and fresh on my stereo, and all the contributions of each musician come through with clarity. There are three bonus tracks, which are alternate takes of tracks already on the album. I'll admit that these do nothing much for me, they're not different enough to demonstrate the evolution of the music so there is nothing much of interest in them. It's a pity there were no left over tracks that didn't make it onto the original album.

All in all 4 stars. Even better was to come a year (and three albums) later, `Kind Of Blue'...

This is a staggering album... The title tune "Milestones" is now a classic. The theme is fascinating not for what is played but for what is implied. You hear yourself singing harmonies all around those that you actually hear. And the rhythm section is just rocking; Philly Joe's drumming is dense with swirling cymbals and rapid-fire rolls, his excitement and passion overpowering. And then, Cannonball Adderley at his most joyous, breaks in with a solo that almost on its own takes the jazz soloing of the era into a whole new expressive dimension. One hearing of this massive record and it feels like you've known it all your life.