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Twenty albums into my #1001Albums journey and I come upon a record that I actually already own. Okay, not the original pressing, but a 180-gram reissue from 2010. Still, though I may be heavily invested in ambient, instrumental and experimental music, I know my jazz. Yes, this is more about me, then it is about Davis, because what more could be said about this trumpeter, and more importantly, about an album that has sustained its accessibility for nearly sixty years now, nevermind the fact that it basically redefined the genre? Centered mostly on modal approach to jazz, where, instead of repeating chords of a familiar tune, that serve as the base to improvise upon, the composer employs a linear walk up and down the intervals, as opposed to the major/minor harmonies and their associated chords. Just listen to "So What", the de facto standard of modal jazz, and pay attention to the lightness, space, and relaxed structure within which an improvising instrument can breathe (hear Coltrane move effortlessly with that tenor sax). That's the framework that is the genius of Miles Davis. And let's not forget the exquisite performance by Bill Evans on piano! Plus, the five pieces on the album were recorded in only six takes! If you have the record, read the liner notes, where Evans basically describes the scales, measures and modal changes of each piece.