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Best Miles Davis Mono LPs to Start a Collection

My wife has had, I think, some sort of a mid-life crisis, a female version of male menopause, I suppose, and has suddenly turned into a complete jazz freak. It's all about jazz with her, now. And, God, in this new universe of hers, is Miles Davis. Although she has CDs of his, she has nothing on vinyl. (And why should she? I'm the one with the turntable.) Since I don't, currently, own a CD player, I would like to give her a collection of some of his albums. But, there are several parameters the collection needs to meet.
They must all be in mono. They should, together, comprise a retrospective of his many styles and groupings over the time period commencing in 1949 and ending, well, ending whenever they stopped issuing mono releases. You tell me. Lastly, they must all be, relatively, affordable. (The emphasis being on the "relatively", as I'm aware that these things don't come cheap.) Perhaps, there are some good sounding, more affordable reissues out there, for instance, or releases whose prices havn't been driven up by collectors.
I've already got some, though. These are:
1) The Miles Davis Tad Dameron Quintet in Paris International of Jazz may, 1949: Columbia AL-38804
2) Bags' Groove: Prestige 71095
3) Milestones Columbia CL-1193
4) Porgy and Bess: Columbia CL-1274
5) Sketches of Spain: Columbia CL-1480
6) Miles Davis: United Artists UAS 9952
All, of course, are mono.
So, what should I get, next?
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xnietzschelover
carrard
6 posts
 
Keep looking for Columbia CL (not CS, which means "stereo"): Kind of Blue, Miles Ahead, Round About Midnight, Quiet Nights, Someday my Prince Will Come, Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, etc.
On Prestige, look for the OJC reissues: Cookin', Steamin', Workin', Walkin', Collectors' Items, Miles, Bags' Groove, The Musing of Miles, etc. Davis also made two albums for Blue Note (but you may have them on United Artists). Good luck.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Volume 1 and Volume 2 on Blue Note collect a number of sides originally issued on 10" LPs. Japanese reissues of these can be had at reasonable prices. The Birth Of The Cool on Capitol, also collects a number of sides originally released as 10 inchers. Reissues of this one do not include a vocal track issued on only the original release, but you won't be missing anything. I would also second Workin' and Steamin' on Prestige. There was a nice Fantasy 2LP set of both works that is dirt cheap with excellent sonics.
nietzschelover's avatar
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nietzschelover OP
93 posts
 
Why buy vinyl for my wife when she can't listen to it on her CD-only system? Easy. So she can listen to it on mine, with me. See, she's, also, a budding audiophile who, like me, thinks music just sounds better on vinyl.
It's certainly more collectable
This way we can share my hobby, together, while we listen to my system--around which the entire living room is arranged.
And, also, well, I guess I'm just one of those crazy "mono sounds more real" guys.
Perhaps, if I heard wax cylinders, I'd prefer them.
Thanks a lot, as well, you guys for letting me know what I should look out for.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Oh, so she's an enabler, good catch.
grimace
624 posts
 
Try 'Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants'. It's got both Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk on it. The version of 'Round Midnight' is amazing. I think some of this session also appears on Bags Groove, but this is a better album.
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