Good, but not the best.
It's a good album, kind of boring because here Miles doesn't shows what he is.

Sketches Of Spain
Miles Davis-Sketches Of Spain *****


On a personal note, Sketches Of Spain is with out a doubt my all time favorite Miles Davis album. Now I am not saying that it is his best album, I'm just saying that for me personaly it is a favorite.

Considered his third straight masterpiece with arranger and conducter Gil Evans, Sketches Of Spain is a jazz album to me unlike anyother, especially in the cannon of Miles Davis. Now many say that Sketches is in the same category as his best, Kind Of Blue, as well as Porgy And Bess, and Miles Ahead. Yes it is in the same category as Kind Of Blue in the sense that this is a masterpiece along side it, but the two albums are nothing alike, which is why the few that don't enjoy Sketches don't enjoy it. As for Porgy And Bess, and Miles Ahead it is only comparable with those because those too were recorded with Gil Evans, but in this reviewers opinion not to the same results.

Made up of a backing orchestra completly put together by Gil Evens and conducted to back Miles as he plays the trumpet and fleugolhorn. This sort of contrast makes for an interesting listen all around. It was around 1959 and Miles was introduced to a spanish-classical piece intitled 'Concierto Do Aranjuez' (which appears here as track one) by the composer Rodrigo that he was so inspired by what he called 'the spanish tinge' that he researched everything he could on Gypsys and flemico music; thus inspiring him to record the Sketches album with Evans. Though the original was in guitar Davis transcribed it over into trumpet adding a new flavor to the piece. The last track on the original album, and number five here is 'Solea' which is a Evans piece branching the blues with flaminco, and to sumerise with a word is breathtaking. Between the open and close we have 'Will O The Wisp' which is a classic ballat piece. 'The Pan Piper' which is much along the lines of 'Wisp.' 'Saeta' is a favorite off the album combining jazz moods with spanis tones and tons of latin feel. Davis shines his brightest during 'Saeta' especially toward the end.

With the new remaster of Sketches Of Spain are three bonus tracks the first of which being 'Song Of Our Country' which feels more like Sketches of Brazil than Spain but still suits the album nicely as it was recorded during the same sessions but not realeased uintil the early 1980's. Also included is the very first take of 'Concierto De Aranjuez' which upon listening is easy to understand why they chose to rerecord the piece. Finally is analternate ending to the track 'Concierto' which once again not as wonderful as the album version but still a cool piece to experince.

Sketches Of Spain is the perfect jazz album for any mood. It is easily among the top five Miles Davis albums of all tilme and in my opinion among the top ten jazz albums ever! This is essential to any Jazz or Davis' collection. Highly, highly reccomended

Brilliant colors and emotions...
The imagery and folk music of Spain has always inspired musicians: Debussy and Ravel in France; Rimsky-Korsakov of Russia; and Miles Davis and Gil Evans of America.

On this this classic jazz CD Gil Evans and Miles Davis create a mood of brilliant colors and emotions. Evans' ochestration melds the various instruments into a thing of beauty along the lines of any master craftsman (including Ravel or Rimsky-Korsakov). Miles Davis solos on trumpet in his genius style, making use of creative improvisation: playing the wrong note, but making it sound exactly right; also making use of silences.

If you like this CD, move straight ahead to Miles Davis' funkified "In A Silent Way".

Sublime performance
I purchased the Sketches LP long ago when I was a teenager and it was then the best Miles I had ever heard. The only difficulty with the work as a whole was that I often felt that the entire expression of the world around me should always be in music. My high school teachers and parents, of course, disagreed.
Fast forward to recently when I had the chance to purchase the CD to replace the lost or borrowed LP from many years ago. While expecting a nostalgic reunion, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Miles' playing had lost none of its verve, edge or inventiveness. Knowing what I do now about people, his life must have been traumatic, to say the very least. Great music always reaches beyond what is commonplace into areas not yet perceived, much less understood. This is great music.
I have the advantage of some 40 years of reading and knowing how limited Miles was in his range, tone, his turbulent life and his incessant racism. How then is it possible that the moment he begins to play I should find such a common plaint of all humanity in his trumpet? I cannot understand it, but if one fails to be moved by this recording, there is something terribly wrong with his being.
Gil Evans, someone for whom I had great respect, reaches perhaps the pinnacle of his success; for anyone else, this might have come off as hokey or gimmicky. Evans was clearly masterful at the arrangements. What I have never understood is how tight the arrangements really are, all the while preserving a kind of natural constraint, regimented in one way, but reaching towards the infinite in the other. It is difficult to understate the value of this album and I have never heard anything at all like it. I doubt if one could create such magic again.
Lastly, a word for the poor studio musicians. As a player, one can appreciate the strain of the music. One hears a trumpet crack a note in the repetitive march and the bassoon sounds like he is going to fall over if he holds that background note one second longer. These, far from being faults with the pieces,oddly enough work to sustain the feeling of authenticity. When Miles is the cry of a woman in agony over the loss over her husband, the mourners are right there with her, dutifully and respecfully waiting for her to complete her mourning wail. These were studio musicians at their very best, stretched to the limit by Evans, egged on by Miles' mystical interpretation.

More of a comment then a review.....
Since my interest in jazz is very limited, I felt it was only fair to write some comments on the album, rather then call this a review because I am sure that I am missing something that makes me have a hard time understanding this album. OK, my Miles Davis collection consist of only "Kind of Blue" which is an amazing piece of work. I also have some albums on which Miles is jamming with other muscians. I felt that I give "Sketches of Spain" a whirl, and even though I can understand the complexity it must have took to put this album together, it just doesnt quite have the vibe that I was looking for. I have listening to it over and over, and even though it is growing on me, I find it to be a difficult listen as it is really laid back. I am more into "Busy" jazz, and this is a very slow album. Its almost has more of a classical music type of vibe, and it feels more in that direction, then it does Miles Davis. In other words, I feel that Miles is more background with most of the works, since he is of course, playing with a symphoney. I would only rate it as just average for now, but I gave it an extra star just for the quality of musicanship on the album. SO my only advice is really for the those new to jazz or a casual jazz fan. I would start with "Kind of Blue" and then work my way around Miles stuff from the 60's. Then as you get into him more, try this out. YOu might like it. I admit its still growing on me, but it seems like a difficult listen.