Love Songs (Miles Davis album)

Love Songs
Compilation album by Miles Davis
Released	February 2, 1999
Recorded	May 10, 1957 – February 12, 1964
Genre	Jazz
Length	60:29
Label	Sony
Producer	George Avakian, Bob Belden, Cal Lampley, Teo Macero, Seth Rothstein
Miles Davis chronology
Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974 (1998) Love Songs (1999) Out of the Blue (1999)

Love Songs is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released on February 2, 1999, by Sony Music Records. The songs it compiles were recorded between May 10, 1957, and February 12, 1964.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, gave Love Songs an "A" and said that "Miles's quiet cool and taciturn affection for the limits of the melody at hand" summons a "consensual intimacy" that "definitely won't kill the mood."^[1] Matt Robinson of All About Jazz felt that it explores Davis' "trademark poise and lyricism" that was best expressed in ballads and credited the compilation for "revealing a diversity even in the broad unity of the love song."^[2] Q magazine gave it four out of five stars and stated, "The master of the art, Davis could push an entire universe of fragility into a simple love song and play the trumpet with such disarming candour it hurt".^[3]

In a mixed review for Allmusic, Scott Yanow gave the album two-and-a-half stars and said that, because of "the slow tempos and the lack of variety in moods, this set is really designed more for background music than for close listening."^[4] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), J. D. Considine gave Love Songs three-and-a-half out of five stars and found it "quite sweet" for a "theme-oriented collection".^[5]

Track listing

1. "I Fall in Love Too Easily" (Cahn, Styne) – 6:48
2. "I Thought About You" (Mercer, VanHeusen) – 4:56
3. "Summer Night" (Dubin, Warren) – 6:05
4. "My Ship" (Gershwin, Weill) – 4:34
5. "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Churchill, Morey) – 9:09
6. "Stella by Starlight" (Washington, Young) – 4:51
7. "My Funny Valentine" (Hart, Rodgers) – 15:09
8. "I Loves You, Porgy" (Gershwin, Gershwin, Heyward) – 3:40
9. "Old Folks" (Hill, Robison) – 5:17

Personnel

Cannonball Adderley – alto saxophone George Avakian – producing Danny Bank – bass clarinet Bob Belden – producing Joe Bennett – trombone Frank Butler – drums Johnny Carisi – trumpet Ron Carter – bass Paul Chambers – bass Jimmy Cleveland – trombone Jimmy Cobb – drums George Coleman – tenor saxophone John Coltrane – tenor saxophone Sid Cooper – clarinet, flute Miles Davis – trumpet Gil Evans – arranging, conducting Victor Feldman – piano Howard Fritzson – art direction Bernie Glow – trumpet Herbie Hancock – piano Dick Hixon – trombone

Don Hunstein – photography Taft Jordan – trumpet Wynton Kelly – piano Lee Konitz – alto saxophone Cal Lampley – producing Teo Macero – producing Randall Martin – cover design Tony Miranda – French horn Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone Louis Mucci – trumpet Romeo Penque – clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, alto flute Frank Rehak – trombone Jerome Richardson – clarinet, flute, alto flute Seth Rothstein – producing Ernie Royal – trumpet Willie Ruff – French horn Gunther Schuller – French horn Bill Steele – photography Art Taylor – drums Julius Watkins – French horn

Charts

Chart	Peak chart position
U.S. Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)	1[6]

References

1. Christgau, Robert (December 28, 1999). "Consumer Guide: Cheap Gifts!". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
2. Robinson, Matt (January 20, 2013). "Miles Davis: Love Songs (2000)". All About Jazz. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
3. "Review: Love Songs". Q. London: 126. May 1999.
4. Yanow, Scott. "Love Songs - Miles Davis". Allmusic. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
5. Considine et al. 2004, pp. 215, 220.
6. "Love Songs – Allmusic – Charts & Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-22.

Bibliography

• Considine, J. D.; et al. (November 2, 2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

External links

• Love Songs at Discogs (list of releases)