An
album of
Miles Davis, with
orchestra, playing various
Spanish and Spanish-like tunes but with a distinctive Miles
twist, another of Miles' albums that was
arranged by
Gil Evans.
The idea for Jazz-ifying Spanish music came to Miles when a friend kept playing the original version of Concierto De Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo over and over and he eventually couldn't get it out of his head. So, as Miles is so famous for, he decided to foray into new Jazz territory.
Track Listing:
1. Concierto De Aranjuez (16:19)
2. Will O' The Wisp (3:47)
3. The Pan Piper (3:52)
4. Saeta (5:06)
5. Solea (12:15)
6. Song of our Country (3:23, Bonus Track)
7. Concierto De Aranjuez, Alternate Take, Part 1 (12:04, Bonus Track)
8. Concierto De Aranjuez, Alternate Take, Part 2 (3:33, Bonus Track)
Having had my introduction to Miles and modal jazz through Kind of Blue I was a little suprised when I first heard this album. An orchestra? Classical tunes? What the hell was Miles thinking? Infact, there's a quote from Miles in the liner notes that summed up my first impression:
"I"m going to call myself on the phone one day, and tell myself to shut up."
I still gave the album a listen once and awhile, and as I did that, I began to realize I wasn't trying to listen to Miles, I was listening for Miles to break back into Kind of Blue. Once I let that expectation go I could finally "dig" Sketches of Spain, now it's one of my favorites. Definetely a good album to pick up (or Napster) if you're a Miles fan.