1967’s Sorcerer lives up to its name with its magic for the ears and beguiling musical spells. The third of five albums by the legendary second Miles Davis quintet, Sorcerer mesmerizes with its instrumental color and subtle details. In this respect in particular the album benefits from the remastering by Shawn R. Britton for Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. The myriad shades, interwoven textures, and unconstrained nuances that bind these compositions together are rendered with the utmost realism on this Hybrid SACD.
Wayne Shorter’s horn spreads pure lyricism on an enormous stage, Tony Williams’ drums sound hard and precise or as soft as a feather as required, Herbie Hancock’s piano runs are given more space and their connection to the central rhythms becomes clearer. Except for the final track, all tracks on the album are by Davis’ bandmates; Nothing Like You pays homage to Davis’ last wife, who also features on the cover. Sorcerer belongs in every jazz collection.
