Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain

Released in 1960, Sketches of Spain loosely belongs to the Third Stream movement of the 1950s and 60s, a term coined by composer Gunther Schuller to describe a fusion of jazz, European classical music, and world music. The album marked the third collaboration between Miles Davis and arranger Gil Evans, following Miles Ahead (1957) and Porgy and Bess (1959). The album dares to explore forms and harmony, resulting in a sequence of musical tableaux that each listener interprets differently.

Recorded at Columbia’s 30th Street studios in New York City, the orchestration mixes brass, woodwinds and harp, and features notable musicians such as Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), and Elvin Jones (soon to be a stalwart of the classic John Coltrane Quartet, he here takes on a different role with percussion instruments). The mammoth recording sessions, which aimed to capture precise textural and dynamic nuances, spanned from November 1959 to March 1960. These meticulous sessions sought sonic perfectionism, resulting in numerous takes, in contrast to the 'done-and-dusted in a day' of most contemporary jazz sessions.

Perhaps the track that best embodies Evans's bold harmonic approach and Davis's celestial playing is 'Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio)' adapted from the famous guitar concerto by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo and brilliantly reworked by the Evans. Carefully orchestrated chordal textures from the woodwind and brass lay the foundation for the alluring melody that flows from Davis’s trumpet. “That melody is so strong that the softer you play it, the stronger it gets, and the stronger you play it, the weaker it gets” is how Davis described it, and he played it with a delicacy as if his very life depended on it. The rhythm section takes a restrained role throughout, performing the charts without improvisation, allowing the arranger's ideas to flourish. This lengthy track, spanning 16 minutes and 21 seconds, transports listeners through Spanish vistas, Flamenco rumblings, and timeless lyricism.

Based on the 1915 ballet score El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla, 'Will O’ the Wisp' is an intriguing and mood-shifting section of the album. Augmented by Miles’s ability to manipulate his tone to be thin yet jagged simultaneously, this shortest track in the collection requires deep concentration to fully appreciate its layered elements. 'The Pan Piper' was first heard by Evans whilst researching the project, and originates from Peruvian Indian roots. A dialogue between the flutes and trumpet takes centre stage against a musical carousel, producing a cyclic, trance-like track. The tonal exploration by Evans in his arrangement is adventurous, for example voicing the shrill woodwind instruments against the lower bassoon. Additionally, the unmetered style of the piece allows the melody to be played rubato and interpreted freely.

'Saeta' is an Andalusian religious song sung during Holy Week processions in Seville. In this reworking, the trumpet sits at the epicentre. Once the processional and military-style opening subsides, Miles delivers a heartfelt monologue in a raspy, sorrowful tone. The liner notes for Sketches of Spain state, “Gil has re-created the street procession, and Miles has the role of the woman aiming the 'arrow of song.'” From Evans’s pen and the musicians’ playing, the story and its finer details come to life.

The influence that flamenco music had on Davis was first heard earlier in 1959 on Kind of Blue with 'Flamenco Sketches'. Here we are presented with a continuation of the flamenco theme on the closing track 'Solea'. The groundwork is rich in flamenco rhythms, vocalistic phrases, and dynamic shapes. The opening reveals sharp, short phrases set to dense cluster voicings, with Miles’s trumpet shining brightly, as it has throughout Sketches. Solea is a basic form of flamenco, a song of longing and emotional depth that parallels Afro-American blues. The track enters a musical clearing where a rhythmic maze unfolds; dual flamenco rhythms dance around one another, tinged with North African influence. As the track moves freely, it reaches a middle section resembling a traditional big-band passage while still hinting at its Andalusian roots. A blues-inflected improvisation from the trumpet, accompanied by the Iberian soundscape, opens a new avenue for listeners, creating a sound that resonates across the Atlantic.

Sketches of Spain is a timeless masterpiece and contrasts sharply with Miles’s modal small group recordings of the same era. The album's unique fusion of styles, innovative orchestrations and evocative soundscapes continue to inspire and captivate listeners decades after its release. Gil Evans’s contribution cannot be overstated; his orchestrations extrapolate from the different genres and synthesize them successfully into something new. Whether viewed as jazz, Third Stream, or simply (as Davis himself described it) "music," Sketches of Spain is a work of unparalleled grace, lyricism, artistic vision, and a quintessential Miles Davis album.