Miles Davis
Relaxin' With Miles Davis Quintet

Born from the 1956 sessions, the delightful assembly of 6 tracks gathered by Prestige titled "Relaxin’ With Miles Davis Quintet." The quintet composed of Miles Davis, naturally on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Phil Joe Jones on drums.

We are in the midst of the hard bop era, where Miles highlights his executive cleverness by exploiting the sound of the instrument that "embraces/kisses" the microphone, thus creating a more muffled sound suited to musical paths inspired by the "ballad" style.

It must be specified, to avoid misunderstandings, that hard-bop, a child of the cool Davisian period of previous years, is, despite the word "hard," a style strongly characterized by harmony and catchiness, contrasting (but not conflicting) with the be-bop.

Although the quintet, formed for a couple of years, has so far dealt with revisiting be-bop standards and classics from the pre-bop period, this album is evidence of how the form of revision is the passage towards a unique and in a sense innovative style. A journey towards new horizons, determined by the stylistic ideas of the genius of Miles that will culminate a few years later with the famous and appreciated (but not summarizing) "Kind Of Blue."

Yes, because the quintet must be taken as a whole, from 1954 to 1959, with all the sessions, the intercessions of "Cookin’" and "Milestone," where the content contribution of jazz continues to take a breath and gracefully elbow towards new horizons, experiments, magical dusts, and precious sound essences.

Let's talk now about the album in question.

The melody is highlighted from the opening track "If I Were A Bell," which begins on the notes better known to the Italian public as "Fra Martino Campanaro" (a nursery rhyme famous worldwide, probably of French origin), where Miles carves out his space of ingenious playful structure, accompanied by Jones' brushes and the soft notes hinted at by Garland. A true little gem, entertaining, where the certainly catchy starting theme paves the way for a subsequent form of pleasant and relaxing entertainment.

"You Are My Everything" is exquisitely hard-bop and romantic, just ahead of the style of "Kind Of Blue," which for many represents the quintet's peak, but should not detract from the tracks of the previous years, of undeniable historical value, that led to such a conclusion. In this piece, there’s the chitchat of the musicians, precisely to highlight the atmosphere and strengthen the full relaxation situation. "I Could Write A Book" is a lively and polite story, where the musicians intertwine perfectly and Miles warbles aristocratically and feline-like.

With "Oleo," the stroke is fluid and nimble, with sudden and overwhelming spikes deceived by pauses of understanding. It is a highly significant piece and sees among the lines the contribution of Charlie Mingus, who, along with Davis, brought this unforgettable little gem to life, seemingly sparse yet with the dynamism of dancing sparks on the embers. "It Could Happen To You" is almost a Davis-Garland duet with a thematic that embodies the sober style of Miles of this half-decade. "Woody And You" is a gem of dynamism where the intervention of the individuals weighs significantly on the intensity of the piece that spectacularly closes the journey. Rich sound, fuller compared to the previous tracks, brilliant and engaging. Yet another gem.

The Miles I prefer.