“Miles Davis at Newport 1955-75: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4” is a compilation of eight live concerts spanning two decades. The four-disc series offers almost four hours of music recorded live at the famed Newport.
Don’t let “Bootleg” fool you; the music still rings as clearly as a studio recording. Nearly all of the tracks are in excellent quality, which makes it hard to believe they were taped live. Miles’ shows were known sound true to the record, and these shows are a great example his reputation.
The album excites listeners because it spans so much of Miles’ colorful career. Over time, the musician changed styles and supporting casts, which makes this set a real travel through time. It is like listening to different musicians or bands with a single core style holding them together.
Miles Davis is a timeless jazz musician whose music has lived on now 25 years after his death. His lone trumpet inspired many musicians and filled many homes with music. His music lives on in the continued interest in his innovative music.
A few tracks on this new set were previously unreleased and are a real treat for Davis’ fans to savor. The series encompasses a large part of his career and condenses the stylistic transformations in representative tracks.
Classic Miles Davis recordings are easy to find, but vary in style by the time they were recorded. Davis’ fans as well as newcomers to jazz can appreciate this album. It offers a well-rounded introduction to the genre and Davis’ work to those with less experience with the music.
“Newport” is a special album that compiles all of my favorite Davis styles. It gives listeners a robust piece of each of Davis’ creative stages and albums. It is the most complete representation of Miles Davis in a single set that I have heard, and lets me enjoy all the favorites without interruption.
As Davis said, “Bebop was about change, about evolution. It wasn’t about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.”
Review: Miles Davis – ‘Miles Davis at the Newport: 1955-75, Bootleg Series Vol. 4’
July 29, 2015
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