Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Miles Davis

Even that, however, may pale beside "So What" from 1959's Kind of Blue session. With a band that included saxophonists John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley and pianist Bill Evans, Davis was both creating the modal school of improvisation and recording its most enduring works. A decade later, Davis took another epoch-defining step, layering electric keyboards and percussion for "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" from the Bitches Brew sessions. There are other exalted performances here, like the live version of "My Funny Valentine," one of his most enduring ballads, and a host of stellar sideman performances by such influential stylists as Gerry Mulligan, J.J. Johnson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams. --Stuart Broomer