Cocktail Notes || EP. 8.5 “Flamenco Sketches", by Miles Davis || Highball
I have a bonus video for everyone this week! Pianist extraordinaire and longtime music acquaintance, Charles Chen, requested “Flamenco Sketches” by Miles Davis. This song is the fifth and final track on the album, “Kind of Blue”. I originally skipped this last song for two reasons: the weekly schedule resulted in holiday videos for this week and next, and the song is just a freeform structure of five chords that is open to improvisation. Soloists would improvise over each chord as long as they desired before signaling the band to move onto the next one. There isn’t even a real melody. In that way, it really embraces the term “sketch” in its title. I spontaneously decided to do this recording over the weekend and complete the tribute to my favorite jazz album, “Kind of Blue”.
The cocktail I chose to pair this with is a “Highball”. It is a very straightforward drink. The definition is any spirit lengthened with soda water. Gin tonics, rum and cokes, and vodka sodas are all examples of a highball. In this case, I chose a Japanese whisky. This drink is a staple all over Japan. It is a common item on every menu and can even be found sold in cans at 7Elevens/Family Mart/Lawsons. Being a cocktail with such a simple definition, it is an open canvas for creativity. There is much freedom in its composition. Like a musician would in “Flamenco Sketches”, the imbiber can change proportions and highlight any flavor they want. Swapping in different base spirits and sodas? Go for it. Throwing in different flavoring agents? Why not. Both the song and the drink have minimal structures that embrace individual interpretation. Cheers!
December 22, 2020