Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain (One Step LP) / Mobile Fidelity

Rarely has Miles Davis painted so expressively and freely with colors. “Sketches Of Spain” is the third of four albums (“Miles Ahead”, “Porgy And Bess” and “Quiet Nights”) on which Davis collaborated with

composer and arranger Gil Evans and an orchestra. In Evans, he found a like-minded partner who helped him bring out tones, shades, layers and textures. What they achieved together is still considered

groundbreaking in the 21st century! “Sketches Of Spain” is also considered one of Miles Davis' most accessible albums. Because there was less improvisation on this album than on others, some of Miles'

contemporaries did not classify it as jazz. According to Rolling Stone, Davis responded, “It's music, and I like it”! Nevertheless, the album was awarded a Grammy for Best Jazz Composition in 1961. In 2003,

“Sketches Of Spain” ranked 356th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Jazzwise magazine included the album in its list of “The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World”.

Programmatically, “Sketches Of Spain” is based on Spanish folk music, a development that began with “Flamenco Sketches” on the legendary “Kind Of Blue”. Miles Davis and Gil Evans combined Spanish themes,

lush orchestrations, romantic timbres and Davis' lyrical methods into a delicate ceremony that still resonates more than six decades after its original release. Whether it's the dark piece “Concierto De Aranjuez”, made

famous by Davis' flugelhorn playing, or “Solea”, based on a folk legend, “Sketches Of Spain” captivates with its extraordinary ideas and innovations. Miles Davis, bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Jimmy Cobb, percussionist

Elvin Jones and an 18-piece orchestra create a breathtaking atmosphere: polyphonic motifs, short improvised solos, fanfare-like swings and contrapuntal changes characterize the flamenco-spiced pieces. Davis' famous

Harmon-muted trumpet is complemented by a selection of bassoons and French horns.

The numbered LP, strictly limited to 5,000 copies, marking the 65th anniversary of “Sketches Of Spain”, was specially remastered from the original tapes for this release at MoFi Studio in California and pressed on 180-gram

SuperVinyl (33 RPM) using the superior-sounding Ultra-Disc One-Step process at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, USA. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features a special foil-stamped jacket and faithful-to-the-original

graphics that illuminate the sonic excellence of this reissue. MFSL's new One-Step version of the 1960 masterpiece dramatically expands the stage presentation and eliminates the often-criticized dry sound. Now “Sketches Of Spain”

is finally available in all its glory, with the woodwinds, strings and percussion instruments sounding as they should – with outstanding definition and detail. Fans of the brilliant trumpeter and composer will now understand better than

ever why renowned critic J.D. Considine called it “a work of incomparable grace and lyricism” and why Q magazine hailed it as “a new direction for jazz”.

Title

Side A

1.    Concierto De Aranjuez
2.    Will O’ The Wisp

Side B
3.    The Pan Piper
4.    Saeta
5.    Solea