Miles Davis "The Collection" (1990)

The Collection (compilation)
release date: 1990
format: vinyl 2 lp (gatefold - CCSLP 243)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Castle Communications - nationality: USA

Compilation album by Miles Davis released on Castle Communications in "The Collector Series".

Miles Davis "Aura" (1989)

Aura
release date: Sep. 12, 1989
format: vinyl 2 lp (463351 1)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: Palle Mikkelborg
label: CBS Records - nationality: USA

Studio double album by Miles Davis following the album Amandla (May 1989), which in many ways was a close follow-up to the album Tutu (also with Marcus Miller as primary artist). In comparison, Aura stands much on its own. The album follows only four months after Amandla and is produced and composed by Danish trumpeter and composer Palle Mikkelborg.
Musically, the album could be seen as more of a follow-up to Davis' album Decoy (Jun. 1984) and his role and experimentation with jazz fusion in the 1970s, which also had an impact on the formative style of Mikkelborg himself. The album was met by critical acclaim but failed to attract the same audience as Tutu (Sep. 1986) and Amandla. In this regard, Aura is both a more experimental and simplistic release but also much more of a contemporary jazz release than one that seeks to blend in styles from popular music. And that possibly also explains why I initially found it a difficult album to understand. In hindsight though, I see Aura as much more of a timeless album when comparing with other albums by Davis in the 1980s. That alone doesn't make it easily digestible. Aura is the final studio album by Davis and in music historic perspective, a fine last album with more to offer than meets the ear on a first, a second, and even on multiple encounters, but with some persistence, I have at least found its underlying beauty.
[ 👍👍allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Musichound Jazz 4 / 5, 👉The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings 4 / 4 stars ]

Miles Davis "Tutu" (1986)

Tutu
release date: Sep. 1986
format: vinyl (925 490-1) / cd (2011 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Marcus Miller, Tommy LiPuma
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Studio album by Miles Davis following You're Under Arrest (Apr. 1985). Six of eight compositions are credited Marcus Miller, one song (track #2) is co-composed by Davis, one (track #5) is by George Duke, and one (track #6) is a Scritti Politti-cover written by David Gamson, Green Gartside. All music is arranged by Marcus Miller who also plays most instruments. Davis is exclusively credited on trumpet, which basically makes this a Marcus Miller album featuring Miles Davis. But that probably wouldn't attract the same attention.
I've always shared double feelngs about the album. Some tracks really showcase the genius Miles Davis with no one else being able to fill in with his playful improvs, and then at the same time, it's over-packed with drum machines, synths, and sequencers making it one part '80s ugly' and everything but timeless, and boldly using funk and contemporary r&b as a hip foundation that mostly comes out as an aggressive wall of pop funk trying too hard to be hip. Still, it's quite defining as an original release, and frankly better than most of Davis' more recent albums.
Not his best but still worth knowing.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, The Guardian, MusicHound Jazz 4 / 5, The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings 3 / 4 stars ]

BEST OF 1960:Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain" (1960)

Sketches of Spain
release date: Jul. 18, 1960
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]

Tracklist: A) 1. "Concierto de Aranjuez" (Adagio) (Joaquín Rodrigo) - 2. "Will o' the Wisp" (Manuel de Falla) - - B) "The Pan Piper" (aka 'Alborada de Vigo') (traditional) - 2. "Saeta" (Gil Evans) - 3. "Solea" (Gil Evans)

Studio album by Miles Davis released on Columbia Records and produced by Teo Macero and Irving Townsend. Initially, Davis went to the studio to do his and Gil Evans' version of "Concierto de Aranjuez" (classical concert by Joaquín Rodrigo), but in the rehearsal process the idea to make a Spanish album came up. This is great, beautiful, and really cool jazz with much Spanish tone to it.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone Album Guide 5 / 5 stars ]