Miles Ahead - Miles Davis + 19 - Pure DSD
Miles Davis’s 1957 collaboration with arranger Gil Evans, Miles Ahead, stands as a monumental achievement in the history of jazz. Following the groundbreaking success of Birth of the Cool, this project reunited Davis and Evans to create a sophisticated, large-scale work for flugelhorn and nineteen-piece jazz orchestra. The album is characterized by its seamless integration of complex, impressionistic arrangements with Davis’s deeply lyrical and focused improvisations, resulting in a cohesive, suite-like structure that flows continuously from beginning to end.
Beyond its technical achievements, the album serves as a poignant reflection of Davis's growth during the late 1950s, highlighting a new dimension in his playing that emphasized color and mood over rapid-fire velocity. By prioritizing clarity, texture, and emotional depth, the partnership between Davis and Evans created a timeless recording that transcends genre boundaries. It remains an essential cornerstone of the jazz canon, standing as a testament to the singular vision and mutual respect shared by two of the most influential figures in American music.
Artist(s): Flugelhorn – Miles Davis
Arranged By, Directed By – Gil Evans
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Paul Chambers
Bass Clarinet – Danny Bank
Bass Trombone – Tom Mitchell
Drums – Art Taylor
Flute, Clarinet – Edwin Caine, Romeo Penque, Sid Cooper
Horn – Jimmy Buffington, Tony Miranda, Willie Ruff
Trombone – Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Bennett
Trumpet – Bernie Glow, Ernie Royal, John Carisi, Louis Mucci, Taft Jordan
Tuba – Bill Barber
Recording Info: Recorded at the Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City
The recording sessions took place on the following dates in 1957:
May 6,10,23 & 27 - August 22 (an overdub session used to enhance solos)
The primary recording engineer for the 1957 sessions was Harold Chapman
Producer George Avakian and assistant producer Cal Lampley
Fred Plaut handled the technical execution for the subsequent overdub session
Sourced from a 15ips 2-track monophonic tape
Components used for Transfer:
This transfer leverages precision analog playback and mastering-grade digital conversion. The signal path begins with a modified Studer A810 with Flux Heads, fed through a Merrill Audio Master MX Tape Head Preamp. The analog signal is converted via a Merging Hapi converter, synchronized to an Antelope Audio 10MX atomic clock for temporal accuracy. All components receive isolated power conditioning through a Shunyata Research Everest 8000 with Shunyata Sigma-X power cords, while grounding infrastructure utilizes Shunyata ALTAIRA hubs to minimize noise floor and preserve sonic detail throughout the transfer chain.
1 Springsville 3:28
2 The Maids Of Cadiz 3:55
3 The Duke 3:36
4 My Ship 4:30
5 Miles Ahead 3:30
6 Blues For Pablo 5:22
7 New Rhumba 4:41
8 The Meaning Of The Blues 2:51
9 Lament 2:19
10 I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) 3:10
Please note: This release was mastered in DSD with no PCM. (Pure DSD)
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