Milestones (song)

"Milestones" is a jazz composition written by Miles Davis. It appears on the album of the same name in 1958. It has since become a jazz standard. "Milestones" is the first example of Miles composing in a modal style and experimentation in this piece led to the writing of "So What" from the 1959 album Kind of Blue. The song's modes consist of G minor for 16 bars, A minor for 8, and then back to G minor for the last 8 measures, then the progression repeats.

It was originally called "Miles" on the album, and led off the B-side of the record. Since people began referring to the tune as "Milestones" rather than "Miles," in later editions of the album the name was changed.

The musicians on the original 1958 recording of "Milestones" are:
 * Miles Davis - trumpet
 * Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone
 * John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
 * Red Garland - piano
 * Paul Chambers - double bass
 * Philly Joe Jones - drums

"Milestones" is also the name of another tune credited to Miles Davis that John Lewis had written for him while playing with Charlie Parker. Musically it is not related to the more famous tune.

"Milestones" has been performed by
 * Barry Adamson
 * Jan Akkerman
 * Chet Baker
 * Elek Bacsik
 * Anthony Braxton
 * Phil Collins Big Band
 * Miles Davis
 * The Dead
 * Charles Earland
 * Bill Evans
 * Jerry Garcia
 * Dexter Gordon
 * Herbie Hancock
 * Roy Hargrove
 * Joe Henderson
 * Bobby Jaspar
 * Wynton Kelly
 * Phil Lesh and Friends
 * Dave Liebman
 * Little Feat
 * Wes Montgomery
 * Mark Murphy
 * Oliver Nelson
 * Joe Pass
 * Enrico Rava
 * Buddy Rich
 * Jimmy Smith
 * René Thomas
 * Turtle Island String Quartet
 * Bob Weir & Ratdog
 * Gerald Wilson