Editor’s note: Miles Davis is NOT a one-hit wonder. He’s a legendary jazz artist and sometimes I simply must write about great songs and this is one of them.

This song runs through my head at least once every month. The opening four-note refrain–made famous on millions of doorbells across the United States–is instantly recognizable. “If I Were a Bell” leads off the great Miles Davis recording “Relaxin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet” This has remained one of my favorite jazz albums since I first heard it more than 15 years ago.

Recorded in 1956, “Relaxin”” is the second of a four-album release from the Quintet that includes “Cookin’‘” from 1956, “Relaxin’” in 1957, “Workin’‘” from 1959 and “Steamin’‘” from 1961. You really can’t go wrong with any of these records, although “Relaxin’” and “Steamin’” are my favorites. A brilliant strategy on Miles’ part: record your entire live set in the studio, then release four brief records over five years and keep your audience happy while you fill your pocketbook.

If you’re looking for an introduction to classic bee-bop as played by the masters, look no further than any of these four records. You’ve got Miles Davis on trumpet and John Coltrane on saxophone. That should be enough for nearly any jazz listener. Throw in the solid rhythm section of Philly Joe Jones, Red Garland and Paul Chambers and there’s a reason this quintet is legendary. The amazing thing is that it’s Miles Davis’s SECOND most famous quintent (his group in the 1960s with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and others gets the nod). But to my ears, the original quintet is the most approachable and musical of the two quintets.

Hear If I Were a Bell by Miles Davis

Miles Davis - If I Were a Bell