Porgy and Bess

There’s a reason so much has been written about this record, but the clearest way through all the rhetoric is simply to put it on and listen. The musical and social impact of Miles Davis, his work with Gil Evans, and especially their reimagining of Porgy and Bess, runs deep. What still feels remarkable is how completely they honour the spirit and complexity of George Gershwin’s work while making it unmistakably their own.

No other pairing could have approached this material in quite the same way, because no other pairing was Miles Davis and Gil Evans. Evans’ close understanding of both the composition and the performer let him capture the essence of each with rare clarity.

The four sessions that completed Porgy and Bess also feature several players from Davis’ most recent group: Julian “Cannonball” Adderley on alto sax, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. The spotlight stays firmly on Davis throughout, but the quartet’s contributions to Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus), I Loves You, Porgy, and There’s a Boat That’s Leaving Soon for New York are impossible to overlook.

Under Evans’ direction, they bring a delicate balance of style, along with much of the same energy and intonation that defined their post-bop recordings. It all adds up to a record that feels expansive, deeply considered, and fully alive.