Search - Miles Davis :: Lift to the Scaffold (Reis) (Rstr) (Dig)

Perfect.

WILLIE A YOUNG II | Houston, TX. | 03/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I kept this baby on 'repeat' all last night and it was the perfect companion. For all the haters who quibble about the 16 (supposedly missing) tracks here's a thought; some of us like works the way the artist originally concieved them not the excessive, remastered editions with superflous material added to simply fill out the running time on a CD. This is simply gorgeous music that embraces the spirit of brevity while living and breathing totally in the moment. An unjustly forgotten and underrated classic. Essential."

Hidden Treasure from Miles

ArtzFreak | Albuquerque, NM USA | 04/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Scene: Poste Parisien recording studio, 1957. Nighttime interior. The actress Jeanne Moreau sips from a glass and chats with director Louis Malle. Lights dim. A noisy film projector rattles, and a screen across the room shows images in noir et blanc, rough cuts from a film in the making. Looking through the glass of an adjacent sound booth is Miles Davis. He licks his lips and nods to the four other musicians in the session, who will join him in improvising the cinematic soundtrack while they watch the movie scenes.



In the flicker of the projector's light, the band breathes to life, slower than a heartbeat. Miles, staring at the screen, erupts into a lonely, haunting melody that soars above the film imagery, then swoops down to intermingle with the characters' tangled emotions. Kenny Clarke puts his brushes to work, scraping quietly across drumheads, and Pierre Michelot joins in on upright bass, the strings echoing in the darkness of its hollow wooden cavity.



Later in the session, a more frenetic piece unfolds. Miles has been having a problem with his lip. A piece of skin breaks loose and sticks to the mouthpiece of his trumpet. The airflow is altered slightly, creating a slight rasp in Miles' tone. It works, and the cut is used in the soundtrack of "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud" (Elevator to the Gallows). The film and soundtrack are released in 1958. The sound recording, while not well-known, often becomes a favorite of Miles fans who later discover it and are seduced by its moody tenor. And for good reason. It's kinda bleu, with some bop interludes. It works. It'll make you want more."

Sensational

Mary Gardner | Sag Harbor, NY United States | 03/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my favorite Miles CD. The music is haunting and very sensual. I play it often, especially when creating, and I recommend it highly to all Miles fans, especially those who like the introspective tunes that are more melodic, less progressive."