Miles Davis was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of our time. His need for change, exploration, and experimentation will remain his legacy. I think anyone who plays or listens to jazz owes it to themselves to check out Miles Davis. That being said, "Seven Steps To Heaven" is a one of his greatest recordings of the 1960s.Recorded in 1963 in Los Angeles and New York, this recording remains a somewhat overlooked album in Davis' vast discography. The reason I think it is overlooked is because it features Miles playing more ballads. I believe ballads are what made Miles Davis great and that's why if anyone loves ballads, then "Seven Steps to Heaven" would be a great purchase. Of course, tunes like the title track and "Joshua" are both uptempo and feature some really swinging rhythms and hot soloing. "Seven Steps To Heaven" also feature three of the greatest musicians from contemporary jazz: Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. This is the first time they played with Miles Davis on record.The musicians on this album are all stellar and are given plenty of room to stretch out. Here is the lineup for this album:Miles Davis - trumpetGeorge Coleman - tenor saxophoneHerbie Hancock - piano (tracks 2, 4, and 6)Victor Feldman - piano (all other tracks)Ron Carter - bassTony Williams - drums (tracks 2, 4, and 6)Frank Butler - drums (all other tracks)Despite what people say and what they feel is the greatest Miles album, I feel that "Seven Steps To Heaven" is right there with some of his best work. I own 35 albums by Miles Davis and I can't believe I waited so long before I bought this album. Hearing albums like "Workin," "Relaxin," "Cookin," "Round About Midnight," "Miles Ahead," and "Kind of Blue," made me a fan, but nobody should overlook anything Miles did in the mid 50s to mid 60s. It was an amazing period for Miles and when listening to "Seven Steps To Heaven" makes me appreciate him even more.To the reviewer who said this record was a "transitional" record, all I really have to say is that every album Miles made was a transitional record. That's just apart of his music. Miles was always looking towards the future and that's evident in everything he has done.Buy this album and don't let mixed reviews scare you. This is a classic jazz album that deserves to be heard.