The Jazz Real Book

17- Miles Davis – Miles In The Sky 

Miles Davis- Miles In The Sky (Columbia Records)
Released  January 16, 1968 and May 15–17, 1968

Miles in the Sky (1968) captures Miles Davis at a pivotal moment of transition. Recorded with his celebrated Second Great Quintet—Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams—the album marks the first clear step toward Davis’s electric period. Released by Columbia Records, the record introduces electric piano and electric bass into Miles’s studio sound while retaining the sophisticated interplay the quintet had developed through earlier post-bop recordings. The four extended tracks blend groove-based structures with the band’s advanced rhythmic freedom and conversational improvisation. Pieces such as “Stuff” and “Paraphernalia” hint at the influence of late-1960s rock and funk, while still grounded in the group’s exploratory jazz language. The album stands as the final full studio statement by the Second Great Quintet and foreshadows Davis’s radical electric experiments that would soon emerge on his 1969 releases In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew.

“For All We Know”and Dave Brubeck (120) 
“For All We Know” is a reflective ballad that has become a lasting part of the American Songbook and the jazz repertoire. Written in 1934 by composer J. Fred Coots with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis, the song first gained popularity through dance-band recordings such as Hal Kemp’s version featuring Skinnay Ennis. Its melody is graceful and understated, built on a classic 32-bar with lyrics that  focus on the fragile and uncertain nature of love. The opening line—“For all we know, we may never meet again”—immediately establishes the theme of impermanence and emotional vulnerability. Because of this introspective quality, the tune has appealed to both vocalists and instrumentalists, eventually becoming a favored ballad vehicle for jazz musicians.
A memorable instrumental interpretation appears on the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s At Carnegie Hall (1963). Paul Desmond presents the melody with his characteristically warm, airy tone and relaxed phrasing, before moving into a lyrical improvisation. Brubeck follows with a solo that begins in his cool, understated style before expanding into rhythmic interplay and subtle syncopation. Known for his interest in unusual meters and structural experimentation, Brubeck still shows here how effectively he could interpret a traditional standard. Backed by Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums, the quartet creates a sophisticated yet accessible performance that highlights the song’s melodic beauty while allowing space for improvisational development. (Episode 120)
Billie Holiday 
Dave Brubeck 
The Jazz Real Book Vol. 2

Steve Wilson is one of the most respected alto saxophonists and multi-instrumentalists in modern jazz, known for his warm tone, lyrical phrasing, and deep command of the bebop and post-bop traditions. Emerging from Virginia, Wilson gained early recognition after moving to New York in the late 1980s. He has performed and recorded with an impressive range of artists including Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, and Maria Schneider. Wilson’s playing balances technical precision with expressive melodic clarity, drawing from the lineage of masters like Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt and Cannonball Adderley while maintaining a contemporary voice. In addition to leading his own acclaimed recordings, he is a dedicated educator, serving on the faculty at The Juilliard School and mentoring a new generation of jazz musicians.

Herbie Hancock-Speak Like A Child (Blue Note Records) 
Released Summer of 1968 
Speak Like a Child is one of the more lyrical and introspective recordings in the catalog of Herbie Hancock. Released on Blue Note Records in 1968, the album reflects Hancock’s growing interest in subtle orchestration and melodic simplicity following the more harmonically dense work of his earlier recordings. Rather than a traditional trumpet-sax frontline, Hancock chose the unusual combination of flugelhorn, bass trombone, and alto flute, creating a warm, floating ensemble sound. The music emphasizes spacious melodies, gentle rhythms, and impressionistic harmonies. Pieces like the title track and “Riot” highlight Hancock’s gift for understated composition and ensemble color. Featuring musicians such as Thad Jones, Micky Roker and Ron Carter, the album stands as one of Hancock’s most delicate and emotionally resonant Blue Note recordings. (120)

“Footprints,” composed by Wayne Shorter, first appeared on Adam’s Apple (1966) but became widely known through its performance on Miles Smiles by Miles Davis. The piece is a haunting minor blues that blends traditional structure with modern harmonic color. Often played in C minor, the tune uses a distinctive bass ostinato that outlines a 12-bar blues form while introducing subtle modal movement. On Miles Smiles, the rhythm section—Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams—reshapes the groove into a loose 6/8 feel that shifts fluidly between swing and Afro-Cuban influences.
Released in 1967, Miles Smiles is one of the defining recordings of the Miles Davis Second Great Quintet. Featuring Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter, and Williams, the album reflects a move toward greater rhythmic freedom, interactive improvisation, and abstract harmony. Rather than strict chord-scale improvisation, the group emphasizes collective interplay, making Miles Smiles a landmark of post-bop innovation. (EP 119)