Miles Davis – E.S.P.

E.S.P. is the debut album from Miles’ “Second Great Quintet” which featured Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and a young Herbie Hancock. The album featured Miles’ muse at the time Frances Taylor Davis on the artwork and was titled E.S.P. because after “Wayne Shorter’s arrival, the five members of the quintet seemed to communicate by mental telepathy.” From Miles Davis’ website: “Wayne Shorter’s watery approach on saxophone and his compositions—odd, snakelike themes and devious harmonic twists that still flowed organically—eventually proved a needed catalyst, the key that finally opened the door to Miles’ next musical leap forward.” Notably, this was also the the first time since the Kind of Blue sessions that the material Miles recorded was all original and generated from within the band. Closer “Mood,” a Ron Carter composition, hits that perfect late-night dreamy, introspective Miles zone for us.

Recommended – Full Listen