A List of Albums You'll Like if You Like Bitches Brew From Miles Davis

 Once I was sucked into the electric music of Miles Davis after hearing Bitches Brew for the first time, I developed a thirst for other similar music. I will reveal those albums below.

The Electric Period of Miles Davis 1968 to 1975 is my favorite of the Davis time periods.

That's not to slight the other periods, the Gil Evans collaboration from 1958 Porgy & Bess happens to be my favorite Miles Davis album. All the time periods were so fruitful with groundbreaking music, you're are splitting hairs trying to pick only one.

Bitches Brew features open ended combinations of jazz, rock, and funk, with a particular free avant garde style that keeps the music abstract to some extent, without going into the pure commercial jazz funk realm.

Many of the sidemen who appeared on Bitches Brew created other albums in the style, artists like Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, and Larry Young.  Artists like Ian Carr and Eddie Henderson made a living with their own takes on this style.

Emphasis needed:

For my list below, I have not chosen generic jazz rock albums. There are many great albums from Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever that are their own thing and a completely different style, even though Miles undoubtedly opened the door for this music to be commercially viable, and worth producing to the record companies.

For this article I have added only albums that capture the mood of Bitches Brew. Music that may be funky but not overtly funky, music that is spacious and at times avant-garde.

When analyzing Bitches Brew you realize this was not at all commercial sell-out music. Its not easy listening and demands your attention. I've tried to focus on this thought process when selecting the albums below.

Here is a list of albums I have come to enjoy, some as much as Bitches Brew its self:

Note: Albums with a link to Amazon.com are my top picks.

Miles Davis: The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions
This 4 CD set more than any other is what you're looking for. From the man himself, nearly 2 discs of unreleased at the time music from the sessions. Some of this also appeared on the Davis album Big Fun. The same vibe obviously throughout the box.

Herbie Hancock: Crossings

Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings
This set gives you all the music Herbie recorded for Warner Bros from 1969 to 1972. Crossings Mwandishi, and the soundtrack to Fat Albert Rotunda. The latter being more of a jazz funk commercial piece that foreshadowed the Headhunters music to come in the Mid 70's.

The former, are indispensable examples of this style of music, but with Hancock's original unique take on the music. In Many ways, I consider this music as the definitive example, if not better and more fully realized than Bitches Brew its self. Eddie Henderson on trumpet shines brightly on
Mwandishi and Crossings..

Herbie Hancock: Sextant
Sextant is a transition alum, showing nearly the perfect balance of the Bitches Brew style and the Headhunters more commercial music to come.

Larry Young: Lawrence of Newark

Weather Report: Live in Tokyo

Weather Report: Weather Report, and I Sing The Body Electric.

Soft Machine: Third

Miles Davis: Bootleg Box number 2

Mike Westbrook: Metropolis

Ian Carr's Nucleus (Many to choose from)
It should be noted, many of Carr's albums during the 70's leaned more toward the funky sound of "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" side of Bitches Brew and not the spaced-out Title Track or "Pharaoh's Dance" style. Carr was one of the first to dedicate his music almost entirely to the Davis electric period. All of these albums are worth having, I have them all and all offer their own unique surprises.

Eddie Henderson: Realization/Inside Out

Benny Maupin: Slow Traffic to the Right.

Other Albums from today influenced by Bitches Brew. Some of these are straight tribute albums but completely worthy of a listen, and a few must haves for your jazz rock collection.

Lettuce: Witches Stew

Bob Belden's Animation: Agemo

Bob Belden's Animation: ReAnimation

Mat Maneri: Pentagon

Radiohead: OK Computer
Radiohead? Well, many have commented, including the band how influential Bitches Brew was on this record. Personally I have found that connection is purely in mood. Playing the records side by side will not inspire an epiphany on the subject

 After a time I was able to understand the connection. It's all about vibe, a chilly desolate mood that does make sense when compared together.

Nicholas Payton: Sonic Trance