Drilling the second great quintet with new first-rate material

On the follow-up to their debut record, E.S.P., Miles’ second great quintet continued to hone their fluid approach to group improvisation. The swift rhythm changes by bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams were carried out with a soft touch, leaving Miles’ gorgeous, muted trumpet line to come out (“Circle”), while saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s suave “Footprints” became a jazz standard thanks to its inclusion on the record.