Relaxin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet

This album remains one of Davis’s finest recordings, an example of one of the 20th century’s great ensembles at the pinnacle of their craft. A masterpiece by any measure. Like his other titles, Relaxin’ features a variety of material the band performed in concert: the format is perfect for Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Philly “Joe” Jones (drums), and Red Garland (piano). The results are consistently superior in both song selection and execution. Davis’ solos are impressive: listening to the many variations he offers throughout the piece makes it clear how intrigued Davis must have been by the melody, given that it remained in his repertoire for decades.