Miles Davis is one of the most well know jazz musicians of our time. He was born in 1926, growing creatively throughout the 1950s, a time of great growth for the jazz genre itself. In fact, so great was his popularity and measure of respect and influence, that at one point he was mistakenly given credit for two compositions that he hadn’t written. Even though he passed away in 1991, his memory and music continue to both contribute and enrich our enjoyment of jazz.

It is not surprising therefore that in May of 2002 four of his former band members came together to pay tribute to this great man in the best way they could, with music. The members of this particular band were Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Ron Carter and Mike Stern. Though their ages and histories vary, they were able to instantaneously bond together to perform one amazing gig which, luckily, was recorded for all posterity by Chesky Records. It is the CD of this recording that is the subject of this review.

Before beginning, I must note that all the musicians are true icons of their craft. The performance that is captured in the recording pays tribute to both them and the memory of Miles Davis. Though I never met the man, I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t take a measure of delight in this particular tribute to him, especially since all of his passion and teachings are what made it possible.

The CD contains some absolutely wonderful music. Starting with the first track entitled, "There Is No Greater Love,” the group definitely forms a synergy that would be difficult for any band to match. Topping that off is the wonderful recording insight that has made Chesky Records so well known in many circles. Their precise placement of microphones and room setup allowed them to capture the tonal qualities of the instruments, movement and sounds of the performers themselves. It definitely went a long way in making the songs realistic, believable and almost palpable when played back.

Another favorite is track 6,”Freddie Freeloader.” I will admit to loving this particular melody before hearing it while reviewing this disc. However, I was taken aback by the sheer force of presence that this particular rendition presented. While it is definitely possible to tell just how much mastery each performer have of their respective instrument, the fact that they didn’t overpower each other is a testament to both band and recording engineer alike. While I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall as the final mixing was done, whatever ultimately took place was enough to make this particular track one I will replay again and again for some time to come.

I also admit to being genuinely enamored with the entire album, although that doesn’t mean that it's perfect. I am not always a fan of live recordings. To me, with some exceptions, they tend to take away from the actual performance itself, and this wasn’t an exception. Perhaps it is the limitations of the medium, or something more, but the brassy almost metallic sounding claps seemingly took away from the near perfection of the album itself.

Even with the issue, I would whole-heartedly recommend this recording to anyone who ever thought they liked jazz. It is easy to listen to, easy to enjoy and pays tribute to one of the most famous jazz musicians of our time, Miles Davis. You really do owe it to yourself to give this disc a listen.

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