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

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

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".

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.

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.

Hey! This ain't jazz! This is Spanish-tinged classical! With a fanfare that seems fitting to introduce matadors (not a criticism, not a compliment) on "Saeta"! Yeah, that's right. Miles' eclecticism kicks in again, I suppose. It's a bit overrated, and it's controversial even by Miles' standards. I like it though. Other than "Concerto de Aranjeuz". That song, or work, or whatever fails to move me. Now, "Will o' the Wisp", aye, that be a different cup of tea. It really is moving, emotional, haunting, and so forth; so is "The Pan Piper", with an eerie flute melody. "Saeta" starts off like those two, but ends up doing the pompous fanfare thingy, but hey, at least it does it well. And the closing "Solea" is pretty good too! It sounds almost like the Hollywood version of traditional Spanish music, the kind you'd expect to hear when the charming Spanish swordfighter is having a duel in a ballroom, but again, it gets quite intense during its climax around nine minutes in. I like intense. This is easily the best Miles/Evans album. Just to warn you, though, it's quite rigid; as usual, Miles is put on a pedestal above the other guys. I mostly prefer him in a small-group setting. I do, however, recommend Sketches of Spain in spite of that.

Miles Davis working with arranger and composer Gil Evans put together an album that ranked 356 on Rolling Stones Top 500 albums of all time. It is probaly one of his most accessible albums and the tight compositions take you to the Spanish bullfight and quiet burning passion of a long, hot Spanish summer day. Not the the hardblowing, improvisational jazz that everyone associates with Miles but the arrangements and tight composition makes for a very relaxing, enjoyable listen.

I'm listening to Miles here in Madrid. We've just done the tapas crawl after seeing a bullfight. No kidding. Now, the ipod is playing Sketces....and I've got to tell you that Miles and Gil Evans got it right. In fact, everything they collaborated on was so fantastic. And Miles is Miles. Here, a little more sophisticated than in his "Kind of Blue" phase but, still Miles. The one and only.

This is a nice disc to listen to after a long day doing just about anything. It is just that soul-reaching and calming. I feel like this CD is a slice of jazz wrapped in a blanket of Mediterranean sunshine. No vocals are needed thanks to the melodic tunes of Miles' horn.

While it doesn't have much to do with the music in this review, in 1995 I obtained Tears For Fears' "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" . This was one of the best albums of the 1990s, namely because of the Spanish musical influence that was infused into a mainstream music sound. One of the songs on "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" was an album called "Sketches of Pain". "Sketches of Pain" was an outstanding song because of the use of classical Spanish guitar and percussion. Part of the reason for the title of that Tears For Fears song was a play on the famous Miles Davis album, "Sketches of Spain", which was Davis' album that had music with a Spanish influence. While Miles Davis is basically a household name, I cannot say that I was familiar with a lot of his music. When I realized there was a connection in how Tears For Fears' "Sketches of Pain" related to Davis' Spanish Themed album, I became more curious about checking out this recording. Without doing much research, I assumed this album would be a jazz album with a classical Spanish influence. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a more classical music sound that would have the Spanish theme infused.

"Sketches of Spain" is a collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans. Davis and Evans had begun a partnership in 1957 that saw Davis contribute his trademark horns (Trumpet and Flugelhorn) while Evans focused on the arrangements and conducting of the music. Prior to "Sketches of Spain" there were two efforts. The first was 1957's "Miles Ahead" that saw Davis and Evans engage in a big band/jazz feel. The second was 1958's "Porgy and Bess" which was an arrangement of songs from George Gershwin's opera, "Porgy and Bess". "Porgy and Bess" also saw the combination of Davis ane Evans move toward something that had more of a classical feel to it. I'm sure this provided a lot of the impetus for the duo to do something more in the classical space.

"Sketches of Pain" has its roots around Spanish Classical music. The original 1960 release consisted of five tracks - two are covers of existing Spanish Classical works and the other three were original compositions by Evans. The Spanish works that are covered are Joaquin Rodrigo's 16+ minute masterpiece "Concierto de Aranjuez" and Manuel de Falla's "Will o' the Wisp". Those familiar with Spanish classical music will know the names of Rodrigo and de Falla. This collection was re-released in 2000 and consists of three additional tracks including another original composition by Evans as well as a full alternative take and alternative ending of "Concierto de Aranjuez".

The cover songs, "Concierto de Aranjuez" and "Will o' the Wisp" are going to have less of a reliance on Davis' horns. While Davis' horns can be clearly held throughout the near 20 minutes of music that make up these songs, there is going to be a heavy reliance by the other musicians that contribute to these tracks. When you get into the four original tracks that were composed by Gil Evans, you will hear a big difference. The music is going to focus heavier on the trumpet and flugelhorn of Miles Davis. As you listen to the original tracks, it is amazing how Evans was able to integrate the sound to give the entire "Sketches of Spain" album a very homogenous feel - i.e. the sound of Spanish classical music. In particular the track, "Solea" proves to be as strong as the work by the legendary Rodrigo and de Falla. Listen for the Spanish military-flair in the song that is the result of some terrific percussion work.

Another thing that really stood out was that even though this collection has very much as Spanish Classical music feel. However there are many segments that could have easily been used as soundtrack info for a feel such as a James Bond movie. While it wouldn't be the hard-rocking sound of Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", I could see parts of these tracks in James Bond films. A prime example of this comes from the classical "Concierto de Aranjuez" piece itself. You can also hear the "soundtrack" sound from some of Evans' original work such as "Song of Our Country".

One thing that's worth noting is that while this is a Miles Davis album, much of the credit does need to go to Gil Evans. Davis does a superb job at playing the horns, but as mentioned above, it is Evans who finds a way to give this album the homogenous sound. It is also Evans that finds another avenue for Davis to deliver his sound. "Porgy and Bess" opened the doors for something besides his trademark jazz sound. "Sketches of Spain" helped take Davis to another dimension. The music shows outstanding musicianship. My only minor beef with this collection is that it really isn't going to make you "get up and dance". It almost has a calm and somewhat somber quality to it.

This collection includes an outstanding collection of liner notes that will provide additional insight into the band. This includes the original liner notes that appeared on the back of the album cover that were written by Nat Hernoff who was a co-editor of "The Jazz Review". Phil Schaap provides an additional write-up (on the re-release) that discusses "The Making of Sketches of Spain". The liner notes also include production and musician credits. Overall, this is not going to be the place to hear classic Miles Davis jazz, however it is going to be a place to hear some outstanding Spanish-infused classical music. This is going to provide some high quality music and if you have an appreciation for music, this is going to be something worth investing in.

Miles Davis is my hero. How many people can say that they have dove deep into many forms of music as him? He combines only the greatest elements of music, into many genre dishes, quite like a chef who knows how to take some of the best ingredients, and make an incredible dish for you!

Sketches of Spain, is quite possibly one of this chef's greatest dishes ever served, with hints of solemnity here, and a dash of pizazz there. Miles Davis; with the help of Gil Evans concocts of the the best jazz albums in almost 50 years, and people still are ordering it. I has the right amount of Spanish spice to fill your night.

Doing some of the works of Joaquin Rodrigo on this album, was one of the brightest moves of Miles Davis' career. Rodrigo was an acclaimed Spanish musician, who had a hold of the regions heart with all of it's sensuous beauty and finesse, carefully captured by Mr. Davis ; et al. With the help of such songwriters as Mr. Rodrigo, Mr. De Falla, and Mr. Evans, this album shines greatly like the sun in Spain. The tracklist is as follows...

1. Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio)
2. Will O' The Wisp
3. The Pan Piper
4. Saeta
5. Solea
6. Song Of Our Country
7. Concierto De Aranjuez (Part One)
8. Concierto De Aranjuez (Part Two Ending)

This is a beautifully crafted piece of art, that every jazz fan should own.

Sketches of Spain is one of my favorite of Miles Davis' fusion works. Here, he fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz. It's not nearly as radical as much of his fusion work, but it's not likely to be heard on an elevator either. If you've enjoyed Miles' easiest-to-listen-to-albums (for example, Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool), and you want to be challenged just a little more, take a listen to Sketches of Spain.

there's not much more anyone can say about this recording, those of us who like it really like it and probably continue talking it up.
i owned the vinyl copy, without the additions, and that's how i grew accustomed to listening to it as a total piece of music. the cd copy left on the player playing the additional pieces becomes a new listening experience, one i don't really appreciate.
i also have a cassette copy, without the additions. not too long ago i was on a beach with headphones, listening to sketches of spain, while watching the water of the sound as it flowed in from the ocean against the blue sky, filled with seagulls and the sun shining. a very pleasurable listening experience of sketches of spain. i doubt any other piece of music would had made the day so pleasurable.

Another reviewer, El Legarto, is crazy. This album is absolute brilliance. I believe it to be one of the most underrated albums of all time for the simple fact that anyone finds any fault with it. Its different, and that should be seen as a good thing. He also called Miles a druggy and arrogant. He was a druggy that twice kicked his drug habbit, the second time for good, and he was so arrogant that he always gave his band mates creative license and freedom to express themselves and give input on recordings. His band mates traditionally carried this humility to their own expiriences as big band leaders. This album is creative and fun to listen to, and a must buy for jazz fans.

Miles Davis is a jazz icon and as such is the recipient of much unqualified adulation. This reverence really misses the point and does him a disservice, because what was best about Davis, apart from his incredible creativity and sensitivity, was his complete irreverence. Abrasive, moody, arrogant, misogynistic, vain, and downright hostile, Davis could abuse drugs and alcohol with the best of his cohorts, but unlike most of them, lived a long life in spite of it. Consequently he was able to ride the waves of numerous changes in jazz, and make huge contributions to them. Few, if any, players had one foot on the bandstand with Bird and the other with Herbie Hancock. But that doesn't mean that everything that happened in between was wonderful.

Sketches Of Spain is an excellent example. This is truly one of the most overrated CDs in all of jazz. Much has been made of it, the evocative imagery, the sense of place, the tension, but it doesn't stand up to return visits. Try it on for size now. It resembles nothing more closely than a mountain of Velveeta cheese melting in slow motion beneath a hot, Spanish sun. For some bizarre reason, Evans and Davis decided to milk a handful of uninteresting figures endlessly; the pieces don't develop so much as ooze, like oil descending marble stairs. Perhaps the greatest flaw is that, apart from the instrumentation, there is nothing here even remotely reminiscent of jazz.

It is the nature of great, and brave, artists like Davis to fail magnificently, this is part of what is admirable about them. In this respect, and only in this respect, should Sketches Of Spain be celebrated.

I love Miles Davis, from his early days to most of his work towards the end of his career. But this album is really hard to like. The feel is orchestral; it doesn't swing. The compositions are forgettable and Miles' soloing is eclipsed by the weight of the accompanying orchestra. It's not that this type of effort couldn't succeed, but this one doesn't. Disappointing.

Wow, I didn't realize how polarizing this one was. I always thought of it as bein' pretty universally lauded like 'Kind of Blue' excepting of course those people who jus' don't get jazz. But I guess I was wrong. Thas' cool, I like readin' other people's interpretions, whether good or bad; allows me to have a more well-rounded opinion myself.

That bein' said, this is ESSENTIAL an' prob'ly ranks among my ten favorite recordings of all time. These pieces are so hypnotic an' dreamlike an' beautifully an' masterfully performed that it puts me in a trance. For me, this ain't even background music or jus' atmospheric tones; this is the kind'a music that you gotta sit down an' really LISTEN to, I mean like devote your attention to. I don't know that I had ever really been engrossed with any classical arrangement until I first heard 'Concierto De Aranjuez' which is givin' what seems to be to be such masterful treatment that it's spellbinding. The piece that stands out to me most though is 'Solea' where Miles' trumpet is followin' that kinda rhythmic dance with the orchestra while interjecting his typical bursts, cries an' wails.

This album as a whole has the ability to jus' kinda float over your senses an' exceed your expectations when you aren't even realizing it. Thas' how Miles is though. 'Sketches of Spain' renews my appreciation for the simple beauty an' enormity of the world around me. Thas' as plain as I can put it.

I've had this for a few years now. After the mandatory three listens once I acquired it, I put it back on the shelf to try again at a later time. Like other music that doesn't initially take, I play it every six months or so, giving it another go, wondering if maybe this is the time when it'll sink in, waiting for that "A-ha!" moment. Sometimes, like John McLaughlin's "Electric Guitarist", it eventually comes. Other times, though, you just have to finally accept the fact that not every album will find a place in the heart of every listener.

I'm certainly not the biggest Miles fan in the world. I have some of his albums, but I don't feel the completist's need with him the way I do with some other artists. "'Round About Midnight" is my favorite by far, "Kind of Blue" (of course) and "Milestones" are both excellent, and I especially love his playing on Cannonball Adderley's "Somethin' Else". I'd heard plenty of good things about "Sketches of Spain", a friend of mine even said it's his father's favorite album, and since I enjoyed the other Miles music I owned it seemed like a riskless purhase.

I'm stunned by the lack of melody. I'm not asking to tap my toes or find myself humming the music when I'm by myself in the elevator, but I expect SOMETHING to be memorable. It doesn't speak well of an album when I can't remember a single note in context moments after I put it away. If there was any motivation to Miles's playing here, then it got lost somewhere between his head and his lips and fingers. And there's virtually no synergy between the orchestra and Miles. They sound more like they're going through the motions of making a sad mood piece than trying to create something inspired. I realize what they're trying to do, but I'm simply not feeling it. I've never heard the original Concierto de Aranjuez, but if it's anything like the version here I don't feel the need to seek it out.

I'm not going to stop getting Miles's albums. I'm just going to be a little more wary about making a blind purchase.

Judging by the number of positive reviews here, I know I'm in the minority on this one. Much like Picasso, Tolstoy or Fellini's works, I can appreciate that there's something in the art that appeals to a great many people, but that appreciation doesn't always translate to a liking.

Find someone who has a copy of "Sketches of Spain" and listen to it first before picking it up yourself.

This is my favorite jazz album of all time. Put simply, this was Miles Davis at his best. The notes on this album simply float, and yet it flows together better than anything I've ever heard. The composition is disorganized but in a way that it all makes complete sense. Don't let the thirty second clips fool you. I almost missed out on this because the clips are misleading. I took a chance on it, and it was the best gamble I've ever made. A must have for any jazz enthusiast.

Okay, most probably every jazz collector may have this album as part of their collection. Perhaps after many incarnations in different formats, one begins to ask why we should purchase this album once again. Is it not enough to get the digitally remastered CD? At first I was hesitant to get this new format. Because I felt that the latest CD version is good enough. But as I listened to this SACD version of this album in my friend's house I realize that the sound produced by SACD is remarkably better than the conventional CD. I immediately purchased my own SACD player and purchased this album. My enjoyment is simply indescribable in words. I will give you the technical reason why one should consider in investing on SACD. Super Audio CD uses a new and radically different technology called Direct Stream Digital (DSD) to convert music into a digital signal that can be stored on a disc. Compared to the traditional PCM method (the technology used for CD), DSD offers a much higher resolution by following more closely the original wave form of music. With a frequency response of over 100kHz and a dynamic range over 120dB across the audible frequency range - some 64 times higher resolution then CD - Super Audio CD offers music reproduction that reveals details you just can't hear on a normal CD. Of course Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis and Gil Evans is the best classically influence jazz album in the world. Many music critics say that the rendition of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez by Davis and Evans is the best classical piece rendered in Jazz. As a matter of fact I do not need to elaborate why this album is great, just read the reviews from credible music critics and you will know. If you loved this album as most of Miles Davis fans do. This is album in SACD is worth the investment even if you already own this album in any format.

I remember this music from 30 years ago, but this particular rendition is different from what I remember. I was not particularly pleased with it.

If you like Jazz, Sketches of Spain is magnificent, but I think there is a truer form of Miles Davis rendition than this one.

I have loved this album since it first came out. Miles Davis best.

The end of a six year span of seemingly endless productivity, innovation, and brilliance on the part of Miles Davis, "Sketches of Spain" may well be the single best recording to bear his name. After he completed it, he claimed to have had nothing left, and indeed, this may have been the case, for the next several years, Davis existed in a creative vacuum, sticking largely to the same songbook and not moving into anything new until a new quintet struck inspiration (but that's a story for another day).

The third in a series of collaborations with arranger Gil Evans featuring Miles soloing over a big band-- 20 pieces this time-- mostly brass (10) and reeds (5), but also harp, bass, drum kit, and two percussionists-- "Sketches of Spain" is an exploration of the "Spanish tinge" in jazz. The backing consists of delicate dynamic twists and turns, castinets offsetting reeds, a harp for color, and brass fanfares. It is probably the most complex of Evans' arrangements for Miles, and the parts he wrote for the soloist were brutal. Miles rose to the challenge, influsing the music with a passion and pained sound that is unmistakably him.

Highlights are too numerous to tell, although certainly the lengthy "Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio)" is the most noticable. And even though composer Joacquin Rodrigo disliked it, it is a piece filled with such a lively energy and unnerving power that I find it utterly compelling (oddly enough, when I heard Rodrigo's original score, I found it somewhat lifeless). The other piece worthy of special mention is "Saeta", with a march opening and closing and a several minute unaccompanied solo by Davis of such enormity and power that the human cries he sought to evoke ("the heroine mourning over the fallen bullfighter" as Evans termed it) are completely clear.

This remaster features pristine sound that is crisp, clean, and most importantly not too bright for the music, and augments the precedings with another piece from the same session ("Song of Our Country") and a couple alternates. All in all, its is a masterpiece start to finish. Essential listening for any jazz fan, casual or otherwise.

I remember taking a college course on the history of jazz, and skipping quickly over this album. We covered all of Miles Davis' other styles, but for some reason, the instructor felt that this album lacked the improvisation and "swing" element that is supposed to characterize jazz. That is what is brilliant about this record; it doesn't sound like anything before it. Miles Davis' trumpet (and occasional flugel horn) blend with these Spanish melodies perfectly, as though he was always meant to play them. More importantly, this album introduced the concept of "mood" to popular music. Many rock artists from the era also took note of this Miles Davis and Gil Evans collaboration, and applied the same musical brush strokes to their own work. Absolutely essential in any collection of music!

At a party in the mid 1960s I did that thing that most people did at the time - flip through the cardboard box of records sitting beside the little suitcase record player. The woman giving the party was not into quality turntables and 500lb speakers.
Through most of the stack I found nothing in common with my own record collection, no flamenco, no swing, no Olatungi, no Lenny Bruce. Lots of strange folk stuff with titles like "Mountain Music of Kentucky" and current albums EVERYONE I knew had (Beatles, Dylan, etc). No jazz - just like my own collection.
Then I found "Sketches of Spain" one of two jazz records I did own. I didn't think about it much at the time but a few years later when we got married I found out that this and my other jazz album "Time Out" were the only records we both owned. Over the decades our musical tastes have grown much closer (We just got a new two CD set of "Mountain Music of Kentucky") and we both have developed a taste for jazz, but are both still very much into "Sketches" and would never be without it.
It's that kind of album - Yeah I have "Kind of Blue" too, but this is still my idea of what Miles Davis was all about. I think I bought my first copy in 1959 or 60. This is music for life.

Don't get me wrong!. This is not bad music at all. In fact, one of the things I like of Miles Davis is his ability on always looking ahead and trying something different. And he tried many things. And mostly he succeed. But although many people like this record I just don't happen to understand it. But I can't deny the effect of this record on me: It bores me. Like most of classical music. I just don't get it!.

The closest you, as a consumer, will ever get to spanish music that's true, culturalwise. As I listen to it now, the image of a Spanish opera comes to mind. This album is meant to imply Spanish tones and brass. You would probably call that an abstract thought, but Miles Davis is one who ventured into the extraordinary and never returned. The thing about these albums is their conception of sound and their disguise. At first listen it will sound very foreign to your average 1-album-a-month listener, but if given the right attention and desperation by anyone, Miles will show. It's amazing how on his best albums Miles' most grandiose visions grow into life; like watching something out of the movie Fantasia. Perhaps the most evident proof is that while ten minutes into one of these sonnets, you pick up roots from many different cultures, directions; organic instruments and, if you listen carefully, that manic technique of juxtaposition that made the beatles so addictive. There is always that deception of organic instruments and notes at the begining of the album that make a song sound like normal. When playing to Miles though, wrap around and insulate the very breath of Miles. He grafts his thought to the orchestra, forcing them to go along and breath as one. Like Bitches Brew, you'll hear when and where the entire cultural genre is intruded upon, and all morph into a butterfly of some new arrangements of notes unheard by the human ear. To do this so smoothly in so many intervals is like brain chemicals changing. Buy this.
Also, this was number 360-something on the Rolling Stone 500 Most Essential Albums List. Mind you, it was a very liberal list that was not a list of "The Greatest Albums Ever". Just old fogeys from the San Fransisco era trying to force Revolver down young readers' throats.

This was the first Miles Davis album I had the chance to listen to, and really the first jazz album I ever listened to, and I was completely enthralled by it. It just seemed (and still seems) like such strange and beautiful music, and I still don't understand it.
I just wanted to post this review for anyone who isn't totally into jazz but respects it and would like to take the plunge. This was my first album and since I first heard this album I've fallen in love with jazz. This is very different from any album I've ever heard, much less a jazz album, so give it a try it you've ever found it hard to get into jazz. It's one of my very favorites.

What needs to be said about Miles? This is not my favorite disc from him, but it is amazing none-the-less.

This work remains among the giants albums of the jazz in any time . The Miles Davis inspiration in this particular case was overwhelming . Not only for his rapture sound , but for the challenging fact to blend two well different moods as the Spanish music and the jazz .
Davis absorbed the inner moods of Joaquin Rodrigo in his famous Adagio and made of this melody a theme with variations with so kind of musicanship that you may state he established a new landmark in his brilliant career .
The question for you is if you have to acquire this recording or not ; but how can you live without having it in your personal collection ?
Supreme perfection would the best title to qualify this recording!

Miles Davis -- when you pick up an album of his you never know what you are going to get. He reinvented his sound several times in his career. I would say that the results of this are uneven, but they really aren't - it is a matter of taste not talent. (Think of how his album _Bitches' Brew_ got panned thoroughly, but is today considered to be one of his best non traditional albums.)

In this Album, _Sketches of Spain_, he takes on some Spanish classical music - and some spanish folk elements, and weaves a classical-jazz crossover album.

I will be honest, I didn't think this would be my cup of tea as I like real Spanish Flamenco music. I was afraid that many Flamenco effects would seem kind of cheesy and dated. I picked it up anyway, since for the times (late 50's early 60's), a little of this flavor was welcomed and difficult to find - very fashionable. I can see how this would be considered a "masterpiece." Even from the elements introduced, the music had a 1950's classical music feel to it as well - as if it had been composed then - it is possible to have been arranged into that state, but either way, it feels like the late 1950's!

The music itself is best characterized as a fusion of jazz and classical - while a bit more free flowing than what classical is known for - it never fully swings, and adopts just a hint of the Miles Davis you find in other recordings. I haven't heard anything like this before in a "Jazz" album, and wouldn't think it falls into the Jazz camp strongly. The fact that Miles pulls it off, tells you of his versatility and his talent.

Aside from the cultural dressing, that may seem dated, this is music that will draw you into it. I found myself even when playing it in our car, to become silent and just enjoy the music. On our home stereo system, you can tell that even with remastering, it isn't as clear and crisp as some more modern recordings, (don't get me wrong, it is a decent remaster!) it still draws you into the music without fail.

I had set out to give the music a 3/5 but on further reflection it is a solid 4/5.

As long as you realize this is NOT the jazz typical of the players of the era and is more of a classical-jazz crossover with a hint of Spain as was very fashionable in the late 1950's, you won't be dissappointed.

For one, I'd like to point out to the very well-informed Mr. Christopher Forbes that the concierto in question on Sketches of Spain is Concierto de Aranjuez: not the bastardised term he has used in his review. Thank you.
Sketches is a reflection of the brooding Miles Davis. One cannot help it: there's so much melancholy in the concierto itself that it is difficult not to wallow in its sad -- what some would call even wan -- beauty. The album, to me, is a swim through brooding naturescapes: I haven't been to Latin America, but closer home, I can imagine the solitary spirits that flit through our mountains.
One of my favourite tracks on this album happens to be the wistful Wil O' the Wisp. The flugelhorn...ah! I cannot explain exactly why, or analyse this tune by chord structures: it's an eerie yet comforting melody that, as a reviewer pointed out before, needs to be listened to and loved. The other aspect of this album is the stealthy percussion that builds to a crescendo. I cannot imagine Elvin Jones and Jose Mangual playing so BENEATH the overall music, yet holding the aural architecture together. It's a delicate balance. Few have achieved that.

Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain

Among instrumentalists, the collaborations of Miles Davis and Gil Evans are often controversial. Though people universally acknowledge that Evans was a genius as an arranger, it's not easy for those who want a full out hard-bop blowing session to adjust to the cool colors and laid back aesthetic of these works. For many; the most difficult of the Davis/Evans collaborations is this third one in the series. While Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess both have obvious roots in big band writing, Sketches of Spain delves into material that was generally not in the mainstream at the time. That it does so with subtlety and style is something that can often be overlooked by those who wish that Miles would blow more.

Sketches of Spain has its genesis in the slow movement of the Rodrigo Concierto di Arguanez, one of the most beloved pieces of classical music out of Spain. Both Miles and Gil Evans were taken with the piece when they were introduced to it and it forms the centerpiece of the album, and the number that seems to register the greatest number of complaints. Purists in the classical world dislike it's fast and loose treatment of the original work, and in fact, Rodrigo was on record as detesting the final product. And jazz musicians felt the work to be pretentious, with not enough room for Miles to solo, and not enough out and out swing. There was also a feeling that the work was just blatantly copied from it's origins and that any brilliance in the work was due to Rodrigo, not to Evans.

A careful hearing, especially a side-by-side comparison with the original Concierto, can dispel much of the criticism of this work. Evans does not merely imitate the piece; he imaginatively rethinks it for wind ensemble. Instead of the spare English Horn and strings with which Rodrigo opens the work, Evans creates a shimmering bed of castanets and harp, over which he layers low flutes and French horns an muted brass, moving in a dense carpet of parallel fourths. While the main points of the original form are followed, with Miles taking mostly the guitar parts, there are many sections that illustrate the genius of Evans, the arranger. Particularly impressive is Evans rethinking of the guitar cadenzas. For the first cadenza Evans contrasts Miles in his dark low register, with beautifully balanced chords in the flutes and low brass, characterized by unusual voicings that include tense dissonances at the top of the chord. Also stunning is the original section that Evans uses to replace the second cadenza. The bass begins an understated vamp. Miles solos over it with his typical cool understatement and the orchestra builds to the climax of the work.

The other cuts on the album are even more understated, but also highly original. Two particularly stand out. Saeta is inspired by a traditional Holy Week procession in which an effigy is paraded through a town, interrupted by a long mournful solo by Davis. The orchestration in this part is stunning. Evans layers martial percussion, a faint bassoon solo and a brass band against Miles' beautiful trumpet. The effect is a jazz tone poem, in the best tradition of the Ellington Orchestra.

The other standout on the album is Solea. This work is a long, beautiful Miles solo over a constantly changing orchestral vamp. Evans shows considerable ingenuity in constantly varying the rather static two-chord vamp, and Miles is given just one scale to improvise on. Though this album came out after Kind of Blue, it was recorded several months earlier, and you can see the influence that Evans had on Miles' revolutionary small group album.

The re-mastering of this album is terrific. The clarity by which you can hear the delicate sounds such as the castanets and the harp is truly lovely. It compares favorably to the old LP version. My one gripe with this reissue, which I have with most of the Columbia reissue series, is that the filler material is basically not worthy to be released. On this one, the filler includes a Brazilian character piece, which belongs in the filler to the Quiet Nights album instead, and two alternative versions of parts of the Concierto. Though last pieces have some documentary value, they are both vastly inferior to the final product and are ultimately annoying to listen to. I would prefer to have the album as it was finally released and save this sort of material for boxed set compilations, even if that means I only get 40 minutes worth of music.

In conclusion, this is a classic album, worthy to join the other Evans/Davis collaborations. It even pushes the art of jazz arranging farther than the other records. And the influence of this work on the history of jazz arranging and composition can't be overestimated. Don Sebesky, Bill Holman and numerous other large group arrangers continually show their debt to the genius of Evans. But, for those who want to hear Miles blow; stick with the quintet and sextet albums from this period. Sketches of Spain does feature Miles, but the real star of the album is the arranging.

The reviewers that talk about playing Relaxin or Kind of Blue hundreds of times
but this only a dozen really sum up this great album. Yes, great if you are in that
category of collector crossing over to aficionado. This is Miles all by his
lonesome adjoined by a strange orchestra that has no cohesion with this artist.
Very similar to that hokey stuff Creed Taylor did with Wes Montgomery and that
Verve orchestra (which all his best offerings are on Riverside by the way). The

feel of this album is like some Columbia record exec. saying "hey Miles we're
going to put you in a room with an orchestra and it's going to be for your own
good because all the other jazz musicians who aren't half as talented as you are
doing this same thing.

But this is merely an opinion from a person who really has none other than if you
aren't a collector you will be much happier with well rounded classics like
Steamin, Talkin, Workin, and best of all Relaxin. Then on to the Columbia Sextet
but you can cut yourself on some of that insane wizardry.

When I was in college struggling to build a CD collection that would convince visitors to my room that I was cool, I got two Miles Davis albums that I thought made the best impression: Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain. Since then, I am thankfully much less concerned with what people think of me, I've listened to Kind of Blue hundreds of times, and Sketches of Spain...I'm not sure...maybe twenty times, and haven't had the urge to pick it off the shelf for the past two years. Why do I never feel like listening to it, even though the music was enjoyable?

I think I figured out the reason when I stumbled across the actual Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez on a CD of classical guitar pieces. It really is a beautiful piece. What surprised me was how similar it was to the version on Sketches of Spain. Miles's version was essentially the same piece arranged for jazz band: nothing particularly exciting was done to the music, and any changes in the harmony that took place with the transposition of instruments were, if anything, to the detriment of the music. There's a reason this piece was, after all, written for guitar.

The rest of the album-with the exception of Solea-gives me the same impression. It's a fan letter to Spain; it recreates their music without creating anything new or vital. I remember reading in the liner notes that the recording of this album was plagued with difficulties, because Miles kept showing up late to sessions without being adequately prepared. Now, I don't know how he acted during the sessions that created Kind of Blue, In a Silent Way, or Miles Smiles-but I have a feeling it wasn't like that. Those records bristle with enthusiasm and energy: everyone in them was fully committed to what was being done.

But I can sort of tell, when I listen to this, why Miles wasn't totally into Sketches of Spain. There's barely any room to breathe inside these arrangements-the improvisatory feel of the jazz that Miles was best at is gone. His freedom is basically limited to a few sections of primary melody, and that within an idiom of music that he isn't totally comfortable with. When you listen to this album, little phrases and melodies don't stick in your head the way they do with Kind of Blue; instead, what you come away with is a vaguely pleasant feeling.

What this is, then, is nice background music. And you can play great music for atmosphere, but if it's actually great, eventually it'll get your attention again and again and distract you from whatever it is you were doing. This one just plays until it's over and then goes back on the shelf, the same as those lame world music albums people get to "relax." Well, it's better than those. But still: only get this if you have the great Miles albums. I mentioned a few.