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." 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." 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".
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." 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".
Track listing
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 chartposition U.S. Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) 1
References
Bibliography
External links