The Man with the Horn

The Man With the Horn is the first studio album from Miles Davis after a six-year hiatus. His previous studio release, Get Up With It, saw Davis at his peak in terms of creativity and experimentation. However, Davis was dealing with physical and mental health problems that led to his abrupt retirement in 1975.

The Man With the Horn marked his return, as well as the beginning of his Warner era. This album came with a brand new lineup of collaborators, except for drummer Al Foster, who had worked with Davis on such albums as Big Fun and Dark Magus. The Man With the Horn has an eclectic sound, with many songs (like “Fat Time”) borrowing from rock n' roll, while the title track takes a more soulful approach, featuring vocals from Randy Hall.

As with much of his work in the 70s, Davis continued pushing jazz music’s envelope, redefining the genre’s trajectory. He proceeded to stray from the sound he helped revolutionize with albums like Kind of Blue and Milestones. The Man With the Horn would prove to be a divisive record among seasoned jazz purists and critics alike, with Scott Yannow of Allmusic stating in his review:

Miles Davis' first comeback record finds the trumpeter a bit shaky (he would improve album by album during the next few years) and has a few poppish throwaway tracks; it is doubtful if anyone really remembers the title cut or “Shout.”

The Man With the Horn saw more commercial success than many of Davis' previous albums in spite of the criticism, charting at #53 on the Billboard 200 and spending eighteen weeks on the charts.