Miles Davis and The Gil Evans Orchestra: "Miles Ahead"

This album was done in May of 1957 and represented a grand reunion of the solo ability of Miles Davis, who plays flugelhorn throughout the album and the arranging and conducting of Gil Evans. A perfect union of two great musical souls. The 18 to 19 piece orchestra is primarily brass with trumpets, trombones, french horns and a tuba and there are reeds, oboe, flutes, clarinets and bass clarinet and one alto saxophone (Lee Konitz). There is no piano and Paul Chambers plays bass and Arthur Taylor plays drums. The album which came out on Columbia Records was an instant Jazz hit and had rave reviews from the critics. The 10 selections are segued together continuously in the form of a suite. Unique programming for it's time. It was truly an instant classic and marked the first of a trio of classics from Miles Davis and Gil Evans. The second was their interpretation of Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess" and the third was the amazing "Sketches of Spain". "Miles Ahead" is still miles ahead despite it's age! Our Jazz Feature tonight!