Listening to Now. MIles Davis, Orbits & Footsteps

"Orbits" is from the album Miles Smiles.  I often referred to this album as my ''epiphany".  Most jazz fans seem to have one -  the album or experience that converted them to jazz. This is mine, in 1967, as a freshman at Notre Dame.

Still gives me goose bumps.

Listen to the balance. This is very horizontal, even the piano -- pure right hand.  Drums adding a bit of color during Miles' solo...drums and bass playing different time signatures perhaps? Almost no harmonics, except for the theme statement, and even that seems to be a fixed interval.

The line-up is often referred to as the 'classic' quintet:

Miles
Wayne Shorter -- Sax
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Ron Carter - Bass
Tony Williams - Drums

The most familiar piece on the album for me is 'Footprints'. It's been recorded several times.  Here's an alternative version, ie, not from Miles Smiles.

The line-up this time is:
Wayne Shorter -- Sax
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Joe Chambers -- Drums
Reggie Workman - Bass

Rob saw Wayne Shorter live at MTU. Lucky Rob!