Quotable | Miles Davis

Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there. -- Miles Davis (1926 - 1991)

 And if you can only play one Miles disc, make certain it's one of these two albums. (I tried to pick only one, but I could not decide between them).

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain

My father introduced me to the musical genius of Miles Davis. I don't remember any fanfare surrounding my first listen to Kind of Blue. I may have even found that one on my own. But I distinctly remember my father's hand in the Sketches of Spain experience. He sat me down with the Sketches liner notes and spun the disc. I was amazed at how clearly the music evoked the land of Spain. And, if I am not mistaken, these recordings were born out of Davis' intense love of Spanish music, a love that was fostered even though he had yet to travel to the Iberian peninsula. Seriously. Just get a copy. You won't regret it.