Miles Davis
E.S.P.

Hello everyone, this is my first review (or "rece", if you prefer) on an internet site. Briefly about myself: I'm 25 years old and a TRUE lover of Music. I have no prejudices and consider myself a "total" listener, even though my great love is Jazz, followed by Classical and Rock. I studied piano as a child and more recently started studying drums after a revelation: my encounter (metaphorically speaking) with the great Tony Williams, in my opinion the most ingenious and shocking drummer of all time. Coincidentally, he is the drummer present in the album I am about to review.

At just 17 years old, in 1963, he joined Miles Davis's band to revolutionize, together with that group of geniuses, the rhythmic-melodic-harmonic approach to improvised music. We're talking about the so-called "Second Great Quintet" of Miles Davis, which includes Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on double bass, and, indeed, the prodigious Tony Williams on drums. This band significantly differs from the "First Great Quintet" of Miles, with John Coltrane still searching for his personal path but already possessing an extraordinary, powerful voice. The first group was more "classic" in its jazz approach: in the repertoire, the constant presence of a tonal center, the order of solos, and the sound. The second was more innovative, constantly in search. With the presence of a rhythm section of young lions ever so inclined to experiment and push boundaries, and thanks to the numerous compositions of Wayne Shorter, Miles was able to fully leverage his charismatic leadership and lead this group into uncharted territories. Here’s the "philosophy" of this group, as stated by Miles in his autobiography (a must-read for everyone!): "If I was the inspiration, the wisdom, and the connective tissue for that band, Tony was the fire, the creative spark, Wayne was the idea guy, and Ron and Herbie were the anchors.".

After these obligatory premises, we can start talking about "E.S.P.", the '65 album, the first studio album of this group. "E.S.P.", the title track that opens the record (penned by Shorter), is a fast piece that immediately makes it clear that everything has changed compared to before... the ride cymbal (the drum cymbal responsible for keeping rhythm) no longer swings the rhythm, except in hints; the bass doesn't restrict itself to playing quarter notes but operates contrapuntally; the piano executes deliberately sparse and dry voicings, avoiding excessive resonances to prevent muddying the sounds and leaving more space for the soloists; the horns finally bring out fragmented melodies with a strong rhythmic incipit. The first solo is by the saxophonist, and the peculiar glissando, sliding, allusive style of Shorter is immediately evident. Someone at the time ironically said that his style was similar to scrambled eggs... His control over dynamic contrasts (power and volume in breath emission) is truly masterful. Miles follows with a fast solo full of high notes, and Herbie Hancock highlights his right hand. Bass and drums keep the piece driving from start to finish. The second track, "Eighty-One" (by Ron Carter), is a very strange blues-non-blues with a boogaloo rhythm. Miles delivers a solo full of groove, followed by Shorter in the mid-lower register with a sound sometimes reminiscent of the best Coltrane (but Wayne is an artist in his own right, and it's a mistake to stylistically compare him to John). Herbie Hancock takes the baton with the usual class; his solo is very, very funky!

The third track on the album, "Little One" by Herbie Hancock opens slowly into a new atmosphere, genuinely lyrical and of a non-pathetic sadness, which I would define as "thoughtful". A minimalist solo by Miles, followed by a true masterpiece by Shorter... his choice of notes, the tone he achieves, the occasional low note, sometimes hoarse. Exceptional! The piano follows, with an almost Chopin-like style, with Ron Carter providing a backdrop adding lots of tension with a pedal of repeated notes on the double bass. The fourth track, "R.J." by Ron Carter, is a medium tempo which, after an intricate opening, turns out to be relatively conventional compared to the rest of the album, though a fine solo by Shorter makes it nonetheless interesting. We reach the most brilliant moment of the album: "Agitation". It all starts with a stunning drum solo by Tony Williams, who, without raising his voice too much, manages to create a maze of tempo changes, rhythms, pauses, cadences... all with absolute sound transparency and cleanliness. You'll learn by heart and love every detail of this sound fresco! The other instruments join in, and everyone does wonders... enjoy the pure genius of the interplay of these giants! The bass deserves a particular mention; listen carefully, especially to the sudden solitary escapade it takes when the piece has concluded. An impromptu flash of creativity! And here's "Iris", the compositional gem of the album, one of Shorter's most beautiful pieces. At times moving, it's imbued with high lyricism, reaching its zenith in the solos by Hancock and the composer. The final gem, "Mood" by Ron Carter; a very slow, plaintive piece (but not whining), is based on a repetitive and "resigned" rhythm. Miles's solo manages to be the perfect musical image of despair and the loss of all hope. A very high note will come like a dagger straight to the heart... a kind of hero's death, now devoid of the strength to fight. Following are Shorter and Hancock, who, although not reaching such expressive peaks in this case, still maintain high tension and pathos. Note how Carter and Williams maintain a static playing style without ever becoming boring. Interest and tension remain high.

I'll close with a friendly tip: absolutely get ALL the studio albums of this incredible quintet.
1)"E.S.P." 1965; 2)"Miles Smiles" 1966; 3)"Sorcerer" 1967; 4)"Nefertiti" 1967; 5)"Miles In The Sky" 1968. Only after would I recommend approaching "Filles De Kilimanjaro", "Water Babies", or "Circle In The Round". To appreciate the origins of such musical harmony, the previous live albums from 1963-64 are highly recommended (with George Coleman or Sam Rivers replacing Wayne Shorter): 1)"In Europe"; 2)"My Funny Valentine"; 3)"Four & More"; 4)"Miles In Tokyo"; and (with Shorter) 5)"Miles In Berlin". Certainly, Miles doesn't just mean "Kind Of Blue" or "Bitches Brew"!!!