Classy, timeless, dramatic, theatrical, relaxing. There are many words to describe the 1959 classic which Miles Davis played on under the orchestration of Gil Evans, but to list all the musical textures and emotions that this recording takes you through would take to long. But the music of Porgy and Bess is an enduring piece of work to say the least. It was originally written as a folk opera by the late, great American composer George Gershwin with the assistance of his wife Ira Gershwin and collaborator Dubose Heyward. There has been many different versions by different leaders of the jazz world along with contemporary artists such as Bonnie Raitt or Sublime, doing their version of the popular song “Summertime”. But their version pales in comparison to Miles Davis’s version of “Summertime”, my favorite on the album. On all the tracks of this album Miles Davis replaces the vocal melody with his very personal interpretation on the trumpet. This LP is unique for the fact that there are two ways you can listen to it. The first way is by either looking at the song titles or possibly even downloading the original lyrics in order to follow the love story of Porgy and Bess. The way to listen to this album is by simply leaning back and closing your eyes and envisioning your own story of indescribable epic proportion as the music takes you on a journey. I often listen to this album to chill out but it is good any time of the day.
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