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Nice to listen to, but it would not be my first choice for this opera. While the melodies are lovely, and the music is well played, there is something missing from this recording. It doesn't quite reach the level of Gershwin's dramatic musicianship.
But Miles put a twist on them all with the help of Gil. Miles Davis-Porgy And Bess *****Right upfront I have to say I am not a big fan of big bands. but what sold me was that it was a Miles collaboration with Gil Evans, the same person he teamed up with on Sketches Of Spain, which to me is one of the most amazing albums ever made, maybe even better than Kind Of Blue, probably not though. Those are the only two albums I can honestly say encapsulate me with joy to the point of almost becoming comatose, so with that being said there is nothing more to say because now I am going to listen to this, as should you.
Because while it maybe be listed as 13 different pieces, really the album plays as one long incendiary piece.Upon every listen to Porgy And Bess I find myself falling more and more in love with Miles' great music. I seem to get lost in this album every time I hear it, much like I do with his Kind Of Blue album. The emotion I thought Miles wouldn't be able to convey during these short pieces is here and maybe more so than on any other recording. 'Buzzard Song' is utterly brilliant.
Miles is an artist that needs time to express himself fully, and emotionally, he can't be expected to cram that into a mere six minutes, or so I thought. Yes the song is way over done, but with a version this good who cares. I'd rather have a small tight ensemble any day, there for I was a little bit skeptical when I first bought Porgy And Bess. 'It Ain't Necessarily So' is stunning, while this version of 'Summertime' is the most stellar version ever cut.
This has since become one of my all time favorite Miles albums, and one that still amazes me upon every listen.The melodies are ones that anyone who knows anything about American music would recognise, for the most part any way. So I bought this album in somewhat good faith, got it home and realized the longest track was only six minutes long. Porgy And Bess destroyed everything I ever thought about it.
This version is the best ever.mar My mother listened to show tunes when I was a little girl, so I have heard "Porgy and Bess" MANY MANY TIMES.
Sometimes I think they turn down their crap to listen to my Gold.Sometimes throwing your pearls in front of swine can pay off. I rock this as loud as I can on the road to drown out the crappy gangster rap that I am subjected to by some of my fellow motorists.
The music is at times romantic, at times brooding and pensive, at times chilling, expanding the emotional potentials of the material, without ever becoming flamboyant or extrovert.The subtlest jazz at its best, really nice collaboration of Miles and Gil Evans, reminiscent of Birth of the Cool and Sketches of Spain (the latter album not really being jazz, but still remarkable music).In short, this album is about one of the best trumpets in jazz meeting one of the best arrangers in jazz, working together on some of the best material used by the jazz musicians. This beautiful merge of well written material, beautiful orchestration and brilliant soloist could hardly fail, and it didn't.
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