In a Silent Way (1969)

"Shhh/Peaceful" Great slabs of Miles Davis, 20/25/30-minute jams uninterrupted at a time sometimes even more, all day jazz deep into the night, an indulgence since I was a teen, and it all starts approximately here. Not that this is typical -- in fact, it's more the oddity compared to what followed. As Miles chased his legend into the '70s the rhythms came forward far more than anything here, while harsh and brittle shards of electric guitar battled the rippling electric piano keyboards for supremacy. Miles's own solos never changed much, in terms of quality, as lyrical and poignant as ever. But this is before all of that and not nearly as unruly. It's a study in improvisation, set pieces all quiet and hushed and subtle, the groping among the players almost too painful to bear. Until suddenly everything falls into place, a discovery is made like a sunrise in sound, and they all fall onto it, devour it. Then the beauty is almost too painful to bear.

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