Sorcerer, the third album by the second Miles Davis Quintet, is in a sense a transitional album, a quiet, subdued affair that rarely blows hot, choosing to explore cerebral tonal colorings.
Even when the tempo picks up, as it does on the title track, there's little of the dense, manic energy on Miles Smiles -- this is about subtle shadings, even when the compositions are as memorable as Tony Williams' "Pee Wee" or Herbie Hancock's "Sorcerer." As such, it's a little elusive, since it represents the deepening of the band's music as they choose to explore different territory.
The emphasis is as much on complex, interweaving chords and a coolly relaxed sound as it is on sheer improvisation, though each member tears off thoroughly compelling solos.
Still, the individual flights aren't placed at the forefront the way they were on the two predecessors -- it all merges together, pointing toward the dense soundscapes of Miles' later '60s work.
It's such a layered, intriguing work that the final cut, recorded in 1962 with Bob Dorough on vocals, is an utterly jarring, inappropriate way to end the record, even if it's intended as a tribute to Miles' then-girlfriend (later, his wife), Cicely Tyson (whose image graces the cover).
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prince of DarknessWayne Shorter | Miles Davis | Play | 06:29 | 14 MB | 42 MB |
| 2 | Pee WeeTony Williams | Miles Davis | Play | 04:49 | 11 MB | 25 MB |
| 3 | MasqualeroWayne Shorter | Miles Davis | Play | 08:54 | 20 MB | 53 MB |
| 4 | The SorcererHerbie Hancock | Miles Davis | Play | 05:12 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 5 | LimboWayne Shorter | Miles Davis | Play | 07:17 | 16 MB | 47 MB |
| 6 | VonettaWayne Shorter | Miles Davis | Play | 05:37 | 12 MB | 31 MB |
| 7 | Nothing Like YouBob Dorough, Fran Landesman | Miles Davis | Play | 02:01 | 4 MB | 12 MB |
| 8 | MasqualeroWayne Shorter | Miles Davis | Play | 08:54 | 20 MB | 53 MB |
| 9 | LimboWayne Shorter | Miles Davis | Play | 07:17 | 16 MB | 47 MB |
| 56 mins | 129 MB | |||||
| 56 mins | 349 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Albertson | Liner Notes |
| 2 | Vic Anesini | Remixing |
| 3 | Bob Belden | Liner Notes, Reissue Producer |
| 4 | Nicholas Bennett | Packaging Manager |
| 5 | Steven Berkowitz | A&R |
| 6 | Willie Bobo | Bongos, Guest Artist |
| 7 | Ron Carter | Bass, Guest Artist |
| 8 | Paul Chambers | Bass, Guest Artist |
| 9 | Jimmy Cobb | Drums, Guest Artist |
| 10 | Michael Cuscuna | Reissue Producer |
| 11 | Miles Davis | Primary Artist, Trumpet |
| 12 | Bob Dorough | Composer, Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 13 | Gil Evans | Arranger |
| 14 | Howard Fritzson | Reissue Art Director |
| 15 | Herbie Hancock | Composer, Guest Artist, Keyboards, Piano |
| 16 | Frank Laico | Engineer |
| 17 | Fran Landesman | Composer |
| 18 | Teo Macero | Producer |
| 19 | Paul M. Martin | Art Coordinator |
| 20 | Randall Martin | Reissue Design |
| 21 | Patti Matheny | A&R |
| 22 | Jan Persson | Insert Photography, Photography |
| 23 | Fred Plaut | Engineer |
| 24 | Frank Rehak | Trombone |
| 25 | Seth Rothstein | Project Director |
| 26 | Rob Schwarz | Mastering |
| 27 | Wayne Shorter | Composer, Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor), Saxophone |
| 28 | John Snyder | Reissue Producer |
| 29 | John Synder | Producer |
| 30 | Stanley Tonkel | Engineer |
| 31 | Irving Townsend | Producer |
| 32 | Allen Weinberg | Art Direction |
| 33 | Mark Wilder | Mastering, Remixing |
| 34 | Buster Williams | Bass |
| 35 | Tony Williams | Composer, Drums, Guest Artist |
| 36 | Francis Wolff | Insert Photography, Photography |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |