1953 · Album
Miles Davis, Vol. 2
Recorded 1958 · Columbia Records · Produced by Teo Macero
Davis in the Middle Ground
A solid session that shows Davis already thinking beyond the trumpet solo.
Miles Davis, Vol. 2 arrives at an odd moment in Davis's career — not early enough to be a statement of arrival, not late enough to feel like a capstone, and not distinctive enough to mark a decisive turn. By this point, Davis had already made his name and recorded extensively. This album sits in the middle years, when he was working steadily and learning what he could do with different ensembles.
The session pairs Davis with J.J. Johnson on trombone, Jimmy Heath on tenor saxophone, Gil Coggins at piano, Percy Heath on double bass, and Art Blakey on drums. The interplay between Davis and Johnson carries the weight here — two horn players circling the same ideas, neither dominating. Coggins keeps things moving without grandstanding, and the rhythm section holds firm. There's nothing flashy about it, nothing that announces itself as essential or rare.
If you're building a Miles Davis collection, start elsewhere — with records that show him at a clearer peak or a sharper point of view. But if you've already lived in his music and want to understand the working musician behind the legend, Vol. 2 offers a glimpse of a player in transit, finding his sound through repetition and ensemble conversation rather than revolution.
Who's playing
Percy Heathdouble bass
Gil Cogginspiano
Jimmy Heathtenor saxophone
Miles Davistrumpet
J.J. Johnsontrombone
Art Blakeydrums
Where next?
More by Miles Davis
All 59 albums →
The musicians on this record
Hard Bop 1956
Art Blakey
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
♫
The Gap Sealer 1972
Jimmy Heath
plays tenor saxophone here
plays tenor saxophone here
