Wayne Shorter's Miles Davis Masterpiece Nefertiti

Nefertiti, recorded in June and July of 1967, and released in 1968 was the last all acoustic album Miles Davis would offer to the masses.

 It is startling listening to Nefertiti, an album that is still very much rooted in hard bop, with the freer elements of the avant-garde stirred in.

To consider only 1 year later In a Silent Way, and 2 years later Bitches Brew was released, which both have  no discernible connection to bop other than possibly some phrasing during solos of the musicians.

I can certainly see how the neo-con jazz critic went berserk. Sometimes you get the feeling reading history, that the acoustic to electric change was more gradual than it really was.

Miles in the Sky was released, then Files De Kilimanjaro before In a Silent Way, but we are talking less than 2 years from the release of Nefertiti to Bitches Brew, and only 4 years until On The Corner.

I can understand why some people just couldn't get on board, at the time it must have been hard enough for the neo cons to accept the second great quintets music and free bop style apposed to the late 50's modal jazz albums, but the rock stuff to come is a whole new bag completely. Since I Have a broad taste in different and am looking at this music historically, and analyzing it that way.

Nefertiti on it's own from a jazz perspective is groundbreaking in its own right, on the title track a Wayne Shorter Composition, the rhythm section and front line of horns switch roles, as the the horns state the melody repeatedly, the rhythm sections improvises underneath, This Track really opened up a lot possibilities for musicians.

Nefertiti is also unusual in that Miles Davis Compose absolutely none of the material, 3 by Wayne Shorter("Nefertiti", "Fall" and "Pinocchio")two by Pianist Herbie Hancock ("Riot" and "Madness") and one by drummer Tony Williams ("Hand Jive")

The music is really right in line with the previous albums by this lineup, ESP Miles Smiles and Sorcerer. High Quality Melodic Free Bop. For what it's worth. other than ESP which is a little thin production wise, all the rest of the second great quintet albums all sonically incredible, the remasters are impeccable as well.