The soundtrack to actor Don Cheadle’s labor of love, Miles Ahead encompasses the music of the brilliant, troubled jazz trumpeter who forever changed the genre and influenced countless musicians of all other genres.

It’s not a straight hits compilation, nor does it feature hot new artists re-recording favorites. Rather, the disc compiles songs from all phases of Davis’ storied, lengthy discography, and not necessarily the ones you would expect. Furthermore, many of these songs are necessarily edited for length, but the judicious cuts only underscore the main point of the song in question.

In addition to the Davis songs, pianist Robert Glasper – who is as versed in hip-hop as he is in jazz – contributes four songs that honor various points in Davis’ career. It’s a brilliant move that illustrates how modern musicians in rock, blues, funk, soul, and of course jazz still feel the gravity of Davis as a person (which the film ably illustrates) and a musician.

“So What” is presented in full, as it would be sacrilege if this was not the case, and the songs come fast and furious: “Miles Ahead,” the lovely, slower “Nefertiti” and “Solea,” the punchy “Seven Steps To Heaven” (about the happiest Davis ever was on record) and “Frelon Brun,” Davis’ first steps into the fusion jazz territory that would result in the brilliant Bitches Brew in 1970. Nothing from that record is featured here, unfortunately, but that song and “Duran” (an unreleased track from this era that first showed up on the rarities collection Directions) nimbly illustrate this fertile period in Davis’ career.

Where this collection succeeds is in showing snippets of the many styles, moods, and supporting players across Davis’ discography; where compilations like The Essential Miles Davis went for the obvious and the full-length, Miles Ahead pulls songs like “Duran,” the edit of the bluesy electric “Go Ahead John,” and the fearless “Black Satin,” from On The Corner, the one in which Miles consciously sought the “black” experience and then dashed it with Eastern music. And where else would one hear “Prelude, Pt. 2,” from the electric rock-funk-jazz album Agharta, not only occupying the same space as “So What” but being one of the few songs not edited for length? It’s also the final Davis song save one on the list before the Glasper songs start. Throughout the disc, it should be noted, are brief raspy spoken interludes taken from Cheadle in the movie that give the listener a hint at the personality behind the music.

Glasper and his band absolutely nail their songs, paying tribute to Davis by honoring him while looking forward. “Junior’s Jam” is quite good, the slower “Francessence” is a thoughtful piece led by a flute and wheedling trumpet, and “Gone 2015” blends hip-hop, horns, a trumpet solo, piano, and a funky, anything-goes, immediately-felt vibrancy that perfectly captures Davis’ spirit. The same can be said for the live “What’s Wrong With That,” which is taken from a scene in the film where Cheadle (as Miles) jams with Glasper’s band on stage in a sort of past-meets-present moment.

The film and the soundtrack will hopefully introduce new people to Miles Davis or reignite a dormant interest in his catalog, and this collection expertly bridges said catalog by giving equal weight to all of it. This is not the place to quibble about what’s missing – real compilations exist for that reason – but rather as a sampler of Davis’ many moods, his influence on modern music, and snippets of dialogue that show his personality. It succeeds on every level.

Rating: A-

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