The Jazz Show Episode May 9, 2016
The Miles Davis Sextet: "Milestones"
9:02pm - 12:23am
Drummer Tony Williams declared in a published statement that "Milestones is the greatest Jazz recording of all time". It might be over the top but Tony, who played with Miles Davis from 1963 through 1969 was only 17 when he joined Davis and this recording was a large part of his learning process. It was done in two sessions on February and March of 1958 and featured Miles Davis' best rhythm section, Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers( bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums) and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on alto saxophone and John Coltrane on tenor saxophone whose playing improved by leaps and bounds in 1957 after a tenure with Thelonious Monk. The band is so strong and like all Miles Davis' band, it's built on solo power and this band had it in spades! After listening to this classic, see if you agree with Tony Williams. I know if I had only one Miles Davis album to take to a desert island, this would be it!