Music's Best Kept Secret

Sketches of Spain (1960) is one of Miles Davis’s most innovative and genre-defying albums, blending jazz with Spanish folk and classical influences. Collaborating with arranger Gil Evans, Davis reimagines pieces like Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, infusing them with haunting trumpet solos and rich orchestral textures. The album departs from traditional jazz, embracing mood, atmosphere, and emotional storytelling. Its fusion of flamenco motifs and lush arrangements helped redefine the possibilities of jazz as an art form. Sketches of Spain remains a landmark recording—bold, cinematic, and deeply expressive—showcasing Davis’s restless creativity and his commitment to breaking musical boundaries.