Miles Davis- Miles In The Sky (Columbia Records)

(Released January 16, 1968 and May 15–17, 1968)

Miles in the Sky (1968) captures Miles Davis at a pivotal moment of transition. Recorded with his celebrated Second Great Quintet—Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams—the album marks the first clear step toward Davis’s electric period. Released by Columbia Records, the record introduces electric piano and electric bass into Miles’s studio sound while retaining the sophisticated interplay the quintet had developed through earlier post-bop recordings. The four extended tracks blend groove-based structures with the band’s advanced rhythmic freedom and conversational improvisation. Pieces such as “Stuff” and “Paraphernalia” hint at the influence of late-1960s rock and funk, while still grounded in the group’s exploratory jazz language. The album stands as the final full studio statement by the Second Great Quintet and foreshadows Davis’s radical electric experiments that would soon emerge on his 1969 releases In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. (S5-EP16)

Herbie Hancock-Speak Like A Child (Blue Note Records)

Released Summer of 1968

Speak Like a Child is one of the more lyrical and introspective recordings in the catalog of Herbie Hancock. Released on Blue Note Records in 1968, the album reflects Hancock’s growing interest in subtle orchestration and melodic simplicity following the more harmonically dense work of his earlier recordings. Rather than a traditional trumpet-sax frontline, Hancock chose the unusual combination of flugelhorn, bass trombone, and alto flute, creating a warm, floating ensemble sound. The music emphasizes spacious melodies, gentle rhythms, and impressionistic harmonies. Pieces like the title track and “Riot” highlight Hancock’s gift for understated composition and ensemble color. Featuring musicians such as Thad Jones, Micky Roker and Ron Carter, the album stands as one of Hancock’s most delicate and emotionally resonant Blue Note recordings. (S5-EP15)

The Doors- Waiting For The Sun (Elektra Records)

Released -July 3, 1968

Waiting for the Sun (1968), the third album by The Doors, arrived at a moment when the band was already one of the most prominent rock groups in America. Recorded between late 1967 and early 1968 and released on Elektra Records, the album reflects both creative ambition and growing internal strain, particularly as Jim Morrison struggled with heavy drinking and the pressure to produce new material.

Musically, the record shows the group’s wide stylistic range. Songs like “Hello, I Love You” delivered commercial radio success, while tracks such as “The Unknown Soldier” and “Five to One” explored darker, more experimental and political themes. Robby Krieger’s inventive guitar work, Ray Manzarek’s distinctive organ textures, and John Densmore’s jazz-influenced drumming help maintain the band’s unmistakable sound. Despite mixed critical reactions at the time, the album became the band’s only U.S. number-one LP and remains an important entry in their catalog. (S5-Ep14)