Miles Davis: Someday My Prince Will Come

Jazz waltzes were still fairly rare back in 1961, and Paul Chambers' pedal point intro keeps the meter a mystery during the opening seconds. Cobb is part of the conspiracy, and refuses to signal the downbeat, while Wynton Kelly floats over their throbbing pulse. These opening feints -- forty seconds of sweetness and light -- are worth the price of admission alone . . . but then Miles enters and shows how he can put his stamp on a song just by playing the melody. His solo is a minimalist canvas, perfectly matched by Kelly's crisp comping. The swing gets stronger with Mobley's tenor and during Kelly's solo, but when Coltrane enters with his "sheets of sound" the temperature in the studio rises at least ten degrees. The handsome prince has arrived on a Harley, ready to burn rubber. But Chambers rushes back like a protective dueña, instilling decorum with his pedal point, and this magical performance makes a complete circle back to its starting point. What a ride!