Milestones (Old) is a modal jazz tune closely associated with Miles Davis, recorded in 1958 and released on the album Milestones. Although often credited to Miles, the tune sits in the period of his modal explorations that helped pave So What from Kind of Blue. The piece uses a two-part modal head in which 16 bars are in G Dorian, followed by 16 bars in A Aeolian, then 8 bars back in G Dorian, with the form cycling as the tune repeats. It was recorded on February 4, 1958 and issued on September 2, 1958 by Columbia, produced by George Avakian. The classic ensemble on the track includes Miles Davis on trumpet, Cannonball Adderley on alto sax, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Milestones helped establish a new modal approach in jazz and is considered a standard in the repertoire. Note that there is also a 1947 song titled Milestones by John Lewis, which is not musically related to this Miles Davis piece.
