Miles Davis created just one studio album with his original sextet: Milestones. And he made every moment count. Pairing with Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, Davis not only laid the groundwork for the modalism that immediately followed but tailored a genuine modern-jazz masterwork laden with performances that are among the most explosive of his distinguished career. Sandwiched between the more famous ‘Round About Midnight and the epochal Kind of Blue, Milestones remains a seminal work of art. The launching pad for many of Davis’ improvisational flights, the album teases the explorations Coltrane would soon chase.

Davis’ own solo work broaches territories that far exceed what he had done in his bop-rooted past. The chemistry, excitement, and beauty the lineup achieves on Milestones cannot be overstated.

Sourced from the original master tapes and housed in mini-LP gatefold packaging, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid SACD grants each musician their own space amid broad soundstages.
Colors, shapes, and dimensions appear in the manner that resembles what you’d glean from behind a studio control room’s window. Davis’ burnished trumpet is rendered in three-dimensional perspective and seemingly coaxes the band to play with unburdened zest. Coltrane’s saxophone teems with lifelike tonality and images with specificity. In every way, this collectible version helps put the album in proper perspective — and presents the music
in the fidelity it deserves.