AMG Review of Compact Jazz: Miles Davis

Stephen Cook
All Music Guide

While the majority of Miles Davis' work can be found on Blue Note, Prestige, and Columbia, there are still several loose ends to account for from both his own dates and sessions he did as a sideman. This edition of the budget Compact Jazz series rounds up a few of them with some classic Charlie Parker sides from 1951, several cuts taken from Davis' soundtrack to Louis Malle's 1957 film, #Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud, and a 1958 all-star date arranged and conducted by Michel Legrand. Starting off with four excellent samples from the Legrand date that also featured Coltrane and Bill Evans, the bulk of the disc is taken up by ten tracks from Davis' noirishly cool Malle soundtrack. The remainder is comprised of four of the trumpeter's best cuts with Parker, including "Au Privave," "K.C. Blues," and "Star Eyes." Maybe a bit of mishmash, Davis' Compact Jazz turn still offers listeners a quality sampler of some of the jazz innovator's more obscure work.