Translation of the German review, written by Claus Müller:

The album Sketches of Spain was released in 1960 under the name of Miles Davis. It was created in collaboration with composer and arranger Gil Evans, with whom Davis had previously realized successful projects such as Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess.

Tape 1 begins with Joaquín Rodrigo's famous Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio), which Gil Evans arranged for the jazz orchestra with woodwinds, strings, harp, and various percussion instruments. Miles Davis plays with incredible beauty, both solemn and ambitious. The slow tempo allows for a deep insight into the musicians' excellent work. This is followed by Will o' the Wisp from Manuel de Falla's El amor brujo, in which the trumpet is played somewhat more sharply. The Pan Piper follows traditional lines and leads rather unspectacularly into Tape 2. In the compositions Saeta and Solea, Gil Evans takes up religious and folkloric motifs from Spanish culture. In Saeta, marching drums and later Miles Davis with a fabulous trumpet variation set the tone. The nine-minute Solea, with its drumming setting the beat, crowns the album in rhythmic terms.

The music can be viewed from two perspectives: on the one hand, it is a fusion of Spanish orchestral music, flamenco elements, classical music, and jazz. On the other hand, Sketches of Spain is considered a visionary work that expanded the possibilities of jazz and was stylistically ahead of its time. It is considered one of the most accessible and at the same time one of the most important albums in Miles Davis’s career. Compared to his other works, the trumpeter does not take center stage as an improviser but rather fits in as a soloist in the orchestra and follows a clear structure. Nevertheless, Miles Davis manages to live up to his visionary role and his constant search for new forms of musical expression because, with his incomparable approach and tone, i.e., his originality and emotional charisma, he knows how to present himself like no other.

In addition to the excellent music, my exuberant enthusiasm is due to the excellent sound quality of this master tape copy, which, compared to other recordings I know, makes much more audible: it reveals more details, more precision, and more dynamics, captivating the listener even more. I imagine sound engineer Pietro Benini at Hemiolia records fighting for every note, every beat, every scene, every track, and ultimately the overall concept of the album during the analog processing of the material. I can't imagine what he could have done better. Any audiotape fan who wants to reach the highest realms of music listening should pay attention to this masterpiece. Since this master tape copy stands out compared to other tapes, I'm giving it a HIGHLIGHT.

In this interview, you will learn everything about the work of Hemiolia Records:

https://www.audiotapereview.com/202503hemiolia-records

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)