Miles Davis - Arghata, 1975 Back cover by Tadanori Yokoo

Miles Davis - Arghata, 1975

Back cover by Tadanori Yokoo

Miles Davis - Arghata, 1975 Front cover by Tadanori Yokoo

Miles Davis - Arghata, 1975

Front cover by Tadanori Yokoo

Irving Penn - The Hand of Miles Davis, 1986

Irving Penn - The Hand of Miles Davis, 1986

(Source: souleyes)

John Dominis - Steve McQueen for LIFE Magazine, 1963 Kind of Blue in the collection!

John Dominis - Steve McQueen for LIFE Magazine, 1963

Kind of Blue in the collection!

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, back of LP, 1959 The liner notes, titled Improvisation in Jazz, were written by Bill Evans: There is a Japanese visual art in which the artist is forced to be spontaneous. He must paint on a thin stretched parchment with a special brush and black water paint in such a way that an unnatural or interrupted stroke will destroy the line or break through the parchment. Erasures or changes are impossible. These artists must practice a particular discipline, that of allowing the idea to express itself in communication with their hands in such a direct way that deliberation cannot interfere. The resulting pictures lack the complex composition and textures of ordinary painting, but it is said that those who see well find something captured that escapes explanation. This conviction that direct deed is the most meaningful reflections, I believe, has prompted the evolution of the extremely severe and unique disciplines of the jazz or improvising musician. Group improvisation is a further challenge. Aside from the weighty technical problem of collective coherent thinking, there is the very human, even social need for sympathy from all members to bend for the common result. This most difficult problem, I think, is beautifully met and solved on this recording. As the painter needs his framework of parchment, the improvising musical group needs its framework in time,. Miles Davis presents here frameworks which are exquisite in their simplicity and yet contain all that is necessary to stimulate performance with sure reference to the primary conception. Miles conceived these settings only hours before the recording dates and arrived with sketches which indicated to the group what was to be played. Therefore, you will hear something close to pure spontaneity in these performances. The group had never played these pieces prior to the recordings and I think without exception the first complete performance of each was a “take.”  Although it is not uncommon for a jazz musician to be expected to improvise on new material at a recording session, the character of these pieces represents a particular challenge.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, back of LP, 1959

The liner notes, titled Improvisation in Jazz, were written by Bill Evans:

There is a Japanese visual art in which the artist is forced to be 
spontaneous. He must paint on a thin stretched parchment with a 
special brush and black water paint in such a way that an unnatural 
or interrupted stroke will destroy the line or break through the parchment. 
Erasures or changes are impossible. These artists must practice a 
particular discipline, that of allowing the idea to express itself in 
communication with their hands in such a direct way that deliberation 
cannot interfere.

The resulting pictures lack the complex composition and textures of 
ordinary painting, but it is said that those who see well find 
something captured that escapes explanation.

This conviction that direct deed is the most meaningful reflections, 
I believe, has prompted the evolution of the extremely severe and 
unique disciplines of the jazz or improvising musician.

Group improvisation is a further challenge. Aside from the weighty 
technical problem of collective coherent thinking, there is the very 
human, even social need for sympathy from all members to bend for the 
common result. This most difficult problem, I think, is beautifully 
met and solved on this recording.

As the painter needs his framework of parchment, the improvising musical 
group needs its framework in time,. Miles Davis presents here frameworks 
which are exquisite in their simplicity and yet contain all that is 
necessary to stimulate performance with sure reference to the primary conception.

Miles conceived these settings only hours before the recording dates 
and arrived with sketches which indicated to the group what was to be 
played. Therefore, you will hear something close to pure spontaneity in 
these performances. The group had never played these pieces prior to the 
recordings and I think without exception the first complete performance 
of each was a “take.” 

Although it is not uncommon for a jazz musician to be expected to improvise on new material at a recording session, the character of these pieces represents a particular challenge.


Jack Smight - The Sound of Miles Davis, 1959

Don Hunstein - John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis & Bill Evans, 1959

Don Hunstein - John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis & Bill Evans, 1959

John G. Walter - Miles Davis, 1969 Used for the back cover of In A Silent Way, 1969

John G. Walter - Miles Davis, 1969

Used for the back cover of In A Silent Way, 1969

Miles Davis - “Moja Pt. 1” Live, 1973

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Miles Davis—“In a Silent Way/It’s About That Time”, 1969