That 1968 to 1975 music from Miles lends its self to interpretation very well. Bands who think outside the box work best, as long as they don't venture off to far from the vibe.
Lettuce, a band that hails from Boston Massachusetts, was formed in 1992 and paid its dues on the New York, Chicago, and San Francisco club scene.
Their first album was 2002's Outta Here. Witches Stew, released in 2017 pays off in a big way if you are an open minded jazz funk listener.
It took about 30 seconds for me to know I'd like this album, as the Milesian vibe is laid down very quickly. Ironically I feel this album more closely in sound resembles Miles' In A Silent Way. The production very much reminds me of that album, very clean and spacey.
Witches Stew is actually a very good amalgam of both In A Silent Way, and Bitches Brew with Lettuce's unique take on the music.
Those that are familiar with progressive rock band Hawkwind and Gong will note a well defined similarity in some of the "spacier" elements that do bring to mind the space rock genre.
Lots of swirling synthesizers, and noodling electric piano, they do a wonderful job at letting the music breathe. Their take on the tracks like "In A Silent Way" and "It's About That Time" work very well in expanding the language of Miles.
The funk element is not over pronounced, this fact might worry some, but the two album that this album focuses on are not jazz funk flag wavers at all. In Miles' case those albums In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew were more of a yin yang to each other.
Silent from 1969, is a tighter if not lighter album, where 1970's Bitches Brew, though with some funkier flourishes, does go way out into the outer reaches of avant-garde styles. Not at all an easy listen for novices.
Witches Stew seems to round off the edges of the Bitches Brew styles here, this is why I feel the music is spiritually closer to In A Silent Way. That's not a knock at all, the album works well, and in fact, out side of some of the Bob Belden tributes of this music, is as good as I've heard.
Also albums from the early 70's like On The Corner and A Tribute to Jack Johnson are given the Lettuce treatment. Again very faithful to the original music. Yet enough of their own thing to be surprised here and there. The even go into the 80's with a track "Jean Pierre", that track has the mist faithful to Miles trumpet playing as well.
Do I recommend Witches Stew, of course I do, if you like Miles' electric period music, you'll enjoy this, and you just might dig into Lettuce's back catalog, I know I will.
It's amazing Mile's electric music, that music keeps on speaking to musicians from multi genres like no other I can think of. As much as I love the classics like Kind of Blue, the electric period seems to be more relevant today, if I even dare say that!
Lettuce understands how great Miles' electric period was and is, and only now 40 years later is the music getting the treatment it so richly deserves. It's not really jazz, just damn good music... just like Witches Stew.
