Miles' third album Sorcerer is the darkest album the mythical "second great quintet" had ever done together. From Shorter's opening track, a reference to Miles, "Prince of Darkness" is worth the of this CD's purchase on its own.
Williams's next standard, "Pee Wee" is one of two ballads (the other being Shorter's "Vonetta") on the album.
Then album begins to heat again up with the atypical Post-bop classic "Masquelero", which is one of the most complex songs the quintet ever did, certainly one of Tony Williams defining moments.
The smoking title track is the middle song of this gem, which probably the closest cousin to anything performed on "E.S.P", but the five band members played with such fury even on the ballads, that this album is in a league of its own.
The acoustic bass phenom Ron Carter brings in "Limbo" with his pulsating bass leading the way for the cataclysmic atonality of this track.
The last song of the Sorcerer sessions "Vonetta" is a touching class of beauty which should have ended off this album in style.
All in said the last song on the album is a dedication to Miles’s then wife and the star of the cover to Sorcerer , actress Cicily Tyson, "Nothing Like You". This two minute jam recorded in 1961, featuring vocals legendary Jazz vocalist Bob Dorough, is also the first time Wayne had ever performed with Miles. This song is usually considered the "back eye" and an unfit ending to an otherwise phenomenal recording.
Charles
