Bluing was one of the first CD's I purchased of Miles, It was a logical entry point for me within the Miles Davis discography.
At the time I was into classic blues artists, such as Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. I was looking to broadened my musical horizons, I wanted to look to the past for inspiration.
I knew Bluing would be right up my alley: I remember listening to it on a daily basis for several weeks before I moved on to other Miles stuff.
Now having listened to all this music many times over in its original form, from the albums this CD is compiled from, Bluing is a fantastic compilation of the Prestige sessions. It's Just straight ahead Hard bop, 8 of the 9 tracks are actually from the 1954-1956 time period, and only one from 1951.
The title track is from an all-star compilation called Conception from 1951. The rest of the tracks are drawn from various Prestige albums like Bag's Groove, Conception and Collectors Items.
Ironically though, the most famous Blues possibly of all of his pre Columbia Records years "Walkin" is not included, which is a glaring omission in retrospect.
That Lucky Thompson composed tune just oozes with hard bop swagger, maybe their thinking was to not give away the store with one compilation, but it's nice to hear Jackie McLean and John Coltrane with Miles in their early stages of development.
Both McLean and Coltrane definitely still have influences of Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon in their sound on these 1950's tracks.
If you are just now trying to warm up to the sound of small group jazz, I think Bluing does an admiral job of easing you into the style. You can always go further into the catalog later on.
Quiet Nights was an album Miles was not pleased with upon its release.
In fact, he was furious that Columbia Records and producer Teo Macero patched enough music together to release a brief album of what Miles considered an inferior rough draft of stuff from the cutting room floor.
Miles was also looking for Someone to replace Hank Mobley as the tenor man in the group, Mobley replaced Coltrane in the working band.
Hank did not bring enough revolutionary ideas to the band to satisfy Miles.
Hank is a fine hard bop player, probably one of the most underrated of all time. In fact, his Blue Note releases are really quite remarkable the high quality... but I must concede he never did fit in with Miles for some reason.
Other than a few tracks on 1968's Files de Kilimanjaro, Quiet Nights would be the last time Gil and Miles would work together, or at least lay anything to tape anyway.
Gil went on to form his own large orchestra, his impulse album Out of the Cool, is a spectacular album on Impulse that every jazz collector must own.
Gil recorded many fine albums throughout 60's, 70's, and 80's. Many of Gil's Albums fused rock and funk elements.
One of the more unusual albums is the RCA Label issue,Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix, this is an album that actually has a version of "Voodoo Chile" (Slight Return) where Howard Johnson Plays the intro on tuba! Yes a tuba, and it is quite remarkable how well he pulls it off. Quiet Nights may be uneven, but still pretty good to my ears.
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.
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.
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
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.
I am always looking for the latest take on the music of Miles Davis. In particular I dig the music paying homage to the Davis electric period.
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 Brewstyles 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.
You might be pleasantly surprised to find out that because of Miles Davis' popularity, a ready supply of vintage vinyl is still out there for you to enjoy.
You won't have to use your rent money either to add good stuff to your own collection.
Even the rarest of rare 50's Prestige copies aren't completely out of hand price wise.
You can still as of the date of this post get most of them for less $1000 in mint condition, and nice play copies graded very good (VG) for half price or better than its mint counterpart.
The real deal is in the Mass produced Columbia vinyl, you can get a 1st press of Kind of Blue easily for less than 100 bucks. Porgy & Bess, Milestones, and Sketches of Spain for a little less.
As you move through the Davis catalog the prices get cheaper of course, with the great 60's quintet albums like E S P, and Miles Smiles, found for 20 bucks all the time. The fusion albums of the late 60's like Bitches Brew and A Tribute to Jack Johnson can be had at
similar prices.
The quadraphonic mix copies will set back a bit more. One exception price wise are some of the Japan only releases like Black Beauty and Dark Magus, these particular copies can set you back over $100.
I know because I needed Dark Magus to complete my Columbia collection of 1st press Miles LP's. So as it turned out, being passionate about Miles did not hurt my pocket all that much, especially once I realized most first press Blue Notes would be completely out of my league.
There is no shame either in running down lesser condition vinyl, records graded VG+ or VG can still sound very good, especially the 70's rock and funk jazz albums.
Live at the Fillmore East (March 7, 1970): It's About That Time is an album that was finally released in 2001.
This particular concert was also the final concert that Wayne Shorter performed with Miles Davis. Soon after, Wayne would join Joe Zawinul to form Weather Report.
This concert is very raw and on edge, Chick Corea has a sound on electric piano that is unlike anything I can ever remember.
Hearing heavy distortion either mars or enhances the music, depending on your tolerance for rough around the edges recordings.
One thing about this recording that surprises me, it sounds like Corea and Holland may have finally gotten to Miles, I don't think I can recall any of his music ever quite getting this avant-garde?
I am telling you this, you have some real over the top cacophony in spots. Some will snicker at this of course, man I wish more of these concerts would be released.
Just to hear something like "It's About That Time" that challenges your sensibilities for what you thought Miles was all about during this time period has been a real joy to absorb.
Compare this recording to the band with Keith Jarrett: Those Cellar Door sessions sound all together different than this March 1970 recording, Did Miles know this was Wayne's last gig?
Reportedly a March 6th show was also taped that has not been released, it was available at Wolfgang's Vault, much of this live music is heard on Bitches Brew, which hadn't been released at the time of these recordings..
I don't want to overstate it, but It's About That Time might be a tough listen for those newly initiated. If you like being challenged, you must give this a shot. All of Miles Electric period is well worth hearing if you have open ears.
Modern jazz is a music that can have so many diverse meanings.
Amazingly the music almost mirrors the musical personality of Miles Davis himself.
It is incredible when you think about it, if you only listened to the music of Miles Davis alone, you would be exposed to nearly every form of the music since World War II.
Bop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, large band orchestrated jazz, post bop, free bop, jazz rock, jazz funk, and even a few music forms that barely even resemble jazz that have gone on to influence so many diverse musicians of different styles, you can't hope to name them all.
I make no apologies for including 4 Davis tunes within this list of my favorite 10, the surprise might be the fact tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter has two of his own compositions on my list, one with Davis, and one as a leader.
This list is really just a personal list, not meant to slight any artist or genre. I have been seriously into jazz for about 20 years now, and these tunes were the ones that affected me early on in the infancy of my love for jazz.
These 10 compositions are drawn from absolute classic albums that must be heard in their entirety. I guarantee you this, if you're just getting into modern jazz, you would have a great ten albums to start with. Don't worry, no free jazz or avant-garde to wade through here, those sub-genres may very well peak your interest down the line though. So let us begin...
Miles Davis: "Footprints"
Footprints, a Wayne Shorter composition that was recorded both on Miles Smiles as well as Shorter's own Adam's Apple. Shorter sure could make a simple melody seem mysterious and complex.
It has been said that Miles created at least one "perfect" album within every style he was a part of: Birth of the Cool and Cookin' from the early 50's, and Kind of Blue, and Porgy & Bess from the late 50's. Miles Smiles is the perfect album from the second great quintet in my opinion.
Lee Morgan: "The Sidewinder"
The Sidewinder is the quintessential Blue Note Records recording. A danceable Bogaloo, with the fiery hot trumpet work of Lee Morgan.
Hard to find fault with the entire vibe. Morgan captures the Blue Note sound perfectly, the entire album is stellar. If you can find an original mono vinyl copy, your mind will be blown at the sound of this record.
Buddy Rich "Channel 1 Suite"
"Channel 1 Suite" from the album Mercy Mercy is a Bill Reddie composition that is a tour de force of big band power. Buddy Rich delivers a powerful performance as usual, his solo on Chanel 1 suite is worth the price of the album.
Outside of Tony Williams, If there ever was a better technical drummer than Buddy Rich I haven't found them. Any of Buddy's 60's albums are killer and have the same in your face style as Chanel 1 Suite.
Thelonious Monk: "Round Midnight" via Miles Davis
This Thelonious Monk tune is an all time classic. This version from the album billed as 'Round about Midnight, Is one of the greatest themes in Jazz history. Miles Davis is able to play this romantic theme in a way they strips it bare. Every last ounce of pretentiousness is gone.
Monk's own original, and the live at the Five Spot version with Johnny Griffin should also be heard, but Miles' Round About Midnight is stunningly perfect to my ears.
Don Ellis: "Indian Lady"
This Don Ellis Orchestra recording from the album Electric Bath is a fine example of Indian poly-rhythms on top of unorthodox time signatures.
Ellis has always been underrated, he composed the Oscar nominated film score for The French Connection. His early death in 1978 is probably why you never hear him mentioned in most people all time lists.
No body had a better big band in the late 60's and early 70's than Don Ellis.
Miles Davis: "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down"
Miles Runs the Voodoo Down is one of the signature songs from Miles Davis During his Electric Period, a classic funk bass line, with some of Miles' most muscular trumpet Dais ever recorded.
Miles jabs like a prize fighter, Bending notes, trills and punctuation. The track sort of runs out of steam at the 11 minute mark, But as a whole, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down is spectacular. Why is it, the elitist jazz critic of the period could never come to understand this jazz rock classic?
Wayne Shorter: "Witch Hunt"
Witch Hunt from the Wayne Shorter album Speak No Evil Is a very important composition and album. Practically every modern jazz album released since has been influenced by Speak No Evil.
Certainly every saxophonist has had to deal with Wayne Shorter and his music. The composition has such a smooth simple melody, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is also on top of his game throughout Speak No Evil.
Charles Mingus: "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"
"Good Bye Pork Pie Hat", a tribute to the then recently departed Tenor Saxophonist Lester Young, a beautiful mournful ballad, that does manage to capture the essence of Lester Young.
Mingus Ah Um is a riotous album at times, but this ballad provides the perfect relief from the hard edges of Mingus' madness. You really can sense the presence of Lester Young within the composition.
John Coltrane: "Acknowledgement"
For some reason when I listen to Acknowledgement, I envision a beautiful sunset, oranges and yellows come into my head? Acknowledgement comes from the John Coltrane masterpiece A Love Supreme.
The solo is incredible, and the unusual Chanting at the end a - love-su-preme, a- love-su-preme, closes the track out in style. A Love Supreme is the second best selling modern jazz record of all-time.
Miles Davis "So What"
"So What" from Kind of Blue may be the best composition of any form of music, I love the bass Intro with the orchestrated touches. Then the Bass setting up the theme, the track just flows so naturally.
The Bill Evans Piano, and the Saxophone solos By Coltrane and Adderley are some of their best on record. The entire album Kind of Blue just sounds like a walk down 52nd Street In New York City 1959.
Don't let jazz, or instrumental music intimidate you
If you're are new to this type of instrumental modern jazz, and have a hard time following music without lyrics, try this: Listen to the rhythm section of bass, drums, and piano, or sometimes Guitar with, or instead of piano.
Anyway, let the rhythm section be the foundation for your ears, feel the rhythm, sense its presence without focusing on the individual instruments.
You can of course focus individually if you want, but I have always felt that feeling the beat, or the vibe of the bass, drums, and piano will allow you to focus on the picture painters, the trumpet, saxophone, or when the rhythm instruments solo.
In fact, down the road if you grasp this concept, a band like The Bill Evans piano trio will blow you're mind, where anything can happen, and usually does in regards to time keeping and soloing. Who's doing what, shifts so much, that rhythm and improvisation are almost interchangeable...
If you are new to jazz below are several fantastic box sets you may find well worth your time if you have an interest in becoming familiar with Post WWII jazz in particular.
Big Fun indeed: Miles was so ahead of the curve, these outtakes were from sessions released from 1969 and 1972, and not released until 1974.
Big Fun was barely noticed at the time, 26 years later the digital remaster was released on CD.
Finally I think enough time has passed to give this music the needed space to catch up with the rest of the world's recorded music.
So many things of note within the Electric music of Miles Davis: Producer Teo Macero's Production techniques were way ahead of their time.
The overall combination of Indian instruments with rock and funk, must have seemed bizarre even for jazz rock? There is no point denying how imperfect Big Fun is, at times it does feel thrown together like some cosmic stew of international sounds.
Big Fun has an interesting production technique from producer Teo Macero, who seems completely thrilled with just trying out every new gizmo and gadget Columbia Records could dream up in the studio.
Oh how fun this time period must have been, how exciting to create and break new ground on the fly like Miles did during the 70's.
The most overtly funky track from Big Fun is "Ife", a repetitive bass drone track that sounds like could have been on the On the Corner album. The rest of the album to my ears sounds like Bitches Brew Outtakes. especially "Go Ahead John".
The first time I heard "Go Ahead John", it nearly drove me crazy. Teo Macero's channel switcher on Jack Dejohnette's drums all most ruined it for me. Years later I happened to give the track another shot, but this time without head phones.
The isolation of the headphones made the effect almost tortuous to me. "Go Ahead John" turns out to be a fantastic 27 minute long dirge. It also features only 5 musicians, Davis on trumpet, John McLaughlin on guitar, Steve Grossman on sax, Dave Holland on Bass, and Jack Dejohnette on drums.
Also it is worth noting that "Go Ahead John" has no keyboard of any kind, it also comes from the Jack Johnson recording sessions. It's hard for me to convey exact musical terminology, as I am not a formally trained musician, but I hear a lot of late 60's funky James Brown groovin' on this track.
It's obvious to me Miles Digs JB. When you listen to the Complete Jack Johnson sessions box you will be amazed at the hard funk and Hendrix style hard rock grooves being worked out.
By the time Miles found Guitarist Pete Cosey near the end of 1973, Miles had settled into voodoo funk groove based style that reminds me of this style a bit. Well, at least I can hear Miles' process here. It is a matter of personal interpretation though.
I have been dissecting this music for over 15 years, and I am still completely amazed how many new things I hear and how the discovery of new stuff seems to never end. Many Times I will put Big Fun on as back ground music, much of this music is good like that as well.
It's one of the best live documents out there of electric Miles.
The Aug. 29th 1970 show at the Isle of Wight Festival is a cookin' show, everything seems to run on all cylinders. Jarrett and Corea are both inventive, and somehow are making real music come out of these newly discovered toys.
As a long time Miles Electric music fan, I do endorse this Isle of Wight show on DVD. I like having it in audio form too, but the atmosphere is so good and the extra interviews are very nice, as well as the thick liner notes inside the DVD case.
Released in July of 1960, Sketches of Spain was a wildly successful album, that garnered Evans and Davis Grammy Awards for their efforts.
My thoughts about the album are a bit mixed, Sketches is easily the least jazzy of the collaborations; also I feel that Miles' own playing is not quite "just a bit" up to the standard of the previously recorded Evans collaboration Porgy & Bess. Miles really put himself out on a limb on Sketches, his vulnerable stark sound was made for this music.
It is well known Miles had trouble on this session, the strange new material, and the tough Evan's arrangements physically exhausted Miles, he did not record again for over a year after the session.
Sketches of Spain is an album that will grow on you after repeated listens, the brooding mood of the piece is hard to ignore. Personally my favorite track is "Solea," I love the bass groove on this track, really puts you in the ring with the bull fighter.
Sketches of Spain on vinyl like most Miles Columbia releases are readily available at reasonable prices. You could get a near mint 60's Columbia 6 eye copy for around 15 dollars.
A 66 year old record like that is certainly a piece of history worth having. The reissue may sound as good or better, but they can't mimic the feel of that aged thick cardboard. Them old Columbia records hold up well to surface wear too. You could get a VG to VG+ copy for under 10 bucks, maybe better than that in a local record shop.
You're Under Arrest is considered one of the worst album covers in jazz history. Miles' playing dress up as a gangster is certainly not befitting the Legacy of jazz's dark prince right?
...but looking at the cover, is it really that bad? I don't know, somehow Miles still manages to look cool.
Because of the cover being so maligned, I think that bad reputation has followed the music. For years I did not listen to it because of the critic's view of it.
Thankfully I have learned over the years that these critics aren't always right, and in fact, many times despite their disdain, it virtually promises I'll like the music. You're Under Arrest is one such album: The entire electric music period 68-91, including the 1980's music of Miles is far better than neo-con jazz critics will have you believe. Compare it to Kind of Blue, of course the 80's music will fail to live up to those grand masterpieces.
Does that automatically make this album not worth listening to? That's the issue for me, don't miss out on this, and other 80's Miles albums because some jazz snob said Miles sold out or dared to fuse r&b into his style.
There's also enough of that voodoo funk think going on from the 72-75 years to satisfy fans of that. It's not as raw, but I think Miles hung on to that vibe until the end, he just rounded the corners off with the smother production. The live albums in the 80's really prove this out.
Nearly 25 years ago I began my adventure as a multi-genre music aficionado.
It all started when a friend of mine introduced me at the age of 18 to classic Chicago style blues. Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and a more obscure but equally enthralling blues musician Johnny Shines.
I never shut out any style of music. I honestly don't even care about the genre that much, it's necessary for place keeping and pulling from your iTunes library I suppose?
I never understood those critics who get angry at musicians who fuse various music styles together. Why would they care what other people play or listen to? OK, they play so-called "real" jazz, I get it.
Early on in my music listening journey, I gravitated toward Miles Davis the most. I was amazed, perhaps even shocked at the scope of styles he developed, or had a hand in shaping over his career. I equally like the bop years, the modal years, the Gil Evans collaborations and the electric period. I love it all.
The music of Miles Davis since 1969 has been reassessed:
The fact that a person might ask which period of Miles Davis' eras were more groundbreaking, speaks volumes by its self to me.
Also the fact that both styles seem equally popular as the years go by, surely says that Miles Davis was one of, if not the greatest jazz musician of all time.
To my way of thinking Miles' electric period, because of its critics, and it's wide cultural audience; along with the lasting scope of the music for today's musician, makes me believe that the electric period of Miles Davis may end up being farther reaching and if possible more groundbreaking than even his 50's and early to mid 60's music.
Certainly I have no issue putting the electric music on the same level as the modal, orchestral, or post bop styles he is best known for.
Honestly, as great as all the acoustic jazz was and is, that music has been discussed and dissected to death, it has already been in the jazz tradition for 50 plus years. The electric music is only now being discovered and critically considered by the masses, all be it, a new breed of younger and less conservative listener.
This On the Cornerbox is a great listen, if you have an open mind to musical forms other than traditional acoustic jazz.
This 6 CD set comprises the entire Miles Davis On the Corner and Get Up With It Albums. The set also brings one track "Ife" from Big Fun.
When you combine "Calypso Frelimo", and "He Loved Him Madly" from Get Up With It, and "Ife", you're talking 90 minutes of music immersion.
If you're not into droning funk and experimental sounds, you might not understand this music.
I am of course into it, and find it to be 90 minutes well spent. The main reason to get this set is for the 3 hours of rare unreleased music. These are mainly out-takes from the On The Corner and Get Up With It sessions.
Much of this studio music went unreleased at the time, but was played out to great effect on Dark Magus, and the Japan 1975 concerts Agharta and Pangaea. "Chieftain", "Turnaround,""U-Turnaround", "Hip-skip", "What They Do", and "Minnie" are worth the price of the box in my opinion.
The Turnaround tracks are confusingly named, as "U-Turnaround" is also known as "Turnaround Phrase" I think? Oh Well, it's got a killer funk groove.
Seven Steps to Heaven is an album that gets lost in the shuffle. Truth is, most jazz artists of the day would have died to record something of this quality.
I have really grown to love Seven Steps to Heaven, an album originally released in 1963, and at a time when Miles was in transition, struggling to find an equal voice to his trumpet on saxophone.
1962 was a disaster, and Miles was trying his best to find a new band after tenor man Hank Mobley didn't work out. The rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, and Paul Chambers went on to form their own trio.
Miles Finally found a saxophonist in George Coleman, who may be the most underrated of all of the Davis sideman. A lot of people mention the Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter tracks with Coleman, but usually the 3 Lyrical Blues numbers are over looked. This is a big mistake, for these are very sparse quartet performances, with Miles owning the moment.
Porgy & Bess is nearly flawless, with perfect sound. It's one of the greatest orchestra albums ever made.
This rendition of the Gershwin classic is easily one of the top 5 Miles Davis Records. Porgy is without a doubt Gil Evans' grand masterpiece.
How is it possible to improve on the original Gershwin work so much? The Davis/Evans Porgy is indeed the definitive rendition.
I think it is important to mention that I am listening to Porgy as I write this, It has been a while since I enjoyed the vinyl copy. This music will stir you, move you, and ultimately exhilarate you". The music never sounded better to me than one night in the spring several years ago: I was sitting on a second floor balcony with a steady after dusk rain falling, the temperature was around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
I clearly remember being moved so much by this instrumental music, that the hair was standing up on the back of my neck. Such is the quality of the music, and the mood enhanced by the falling rain and foggy atmosphere. It still stands out to me more than 15 years later.
If you focus deeply into the music, you will almost feel the orchestra. Tubas, flutes, and french horns, are just some of the instruments that flesh out the sultry blues even more than the original Work
Miles' vulnerable tone was made for this music, on both trumpet and flugelhorn. The track below "Prayer, Oh, Doctor Jesus" is something special indeed. I only wish I would have discovered Miles sooner than 20 years ago. Porgy has become my favorite 50's Miles album by a shade over Kind of Blue.
Miles Davis is one of the greatest trumpeters, composers, and band leaders in music history.
Miles was also a very complex human being. He cut his teeth as a jazz musician with the great alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, and then went on to change popular music nearly a half a dozen times the next 30 years.
Miles struggled with, and beat heroin addiction early in his career, and become somewhat a mythical figure even while he was alive.
I will likely never quench my thirst for knowledge about this great artist. Whether it's newly unearthed music, or a brand new book, I am always there to grab it up.
I own 12 books about Miles Davis, sure there's a few I've read that I traded in to the used book store, because I didn't particularly like it, or it just re-hashed common information.
There are a few however that sit on my night stand, that I do like to re-read before bed, or to quickly grab for a reference.
There are plenty of Miles Davis Biographies out there, I believe Quincy Troup's book to be the one to own, not to over simplify, but I highly suggest that you read the Miles Davis Wikipedia page, as it does a fine job of providing the common facts about Miles and his musical time Periods.
Nothing else Miles Davis ever did sounds quite like Bitches Brew, it's more avant-garde and abstract than is usually reviewed too.
There are funk and rock elements yes, but the music is its own thing in the Davis lexicon.
A lot of this has to do with Producer Teo Macero's cut and paste studio work.
At first listen Bitches Brew is very much in the vein of musique concrète, like The Beatles "Revolution #9", a similar cold and distant feeling is evoked.
Listen again to the title track and "Pharaoh's Dance" and tell me it doesn't have this vibe?
20 years ago, back in the mid 90's when I first heard the music, Brew seemed like an immovable monolith. Prior to my discovery of Davis, I was listening to mostly metal bands like Metallica and Megadeth.
These bands offered some very challenging and quite avant-garde progressive sounding music for the rock genre. Speed metal is a genre that one must acquire the taste for, after a while, the perception of speed slows down, and it doesn't seem as outrageous.
Metallica's ... and Justice For all comes to Mind as an album that had this cold and lonely mood, both in the production and in musical content. That is an album that sounds progressive 27 years later. Also Radiohead's OK Computer is very moody in this way.
I am struck how Bitches Brew remains alive to me all these years later, as if it changes somehow with each listen? Better than 20 years later I am amazed that I hear something new in it.
What a fantastic album Miles Ahead is, probably considered the lesser of the trio of Davis/Evans collaborations.
True Davis aficionados sort of consider all three close to being equal, with Porgy & Bess or Sketches of Spain just being above Miles Ahead.
Possibly those albums just perfected the style started on Miles Ahead? I have always thought of Miles Ahead as Kind of Blue with an orchestra... or at least the vibe is somewhat familiar.
Arranger Evans sure has a knack for painting a picture with the way he uses strange instrument pairings, and switches roles with what the traditional time keeping instruments do.
If someone asks you what the greatest modern jazz record of all time is, just tell them Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. After all, it is the greatest selling modern jazz record of all time.
If someone asks you why it is the greatest? Fill them in on the ahead of its time use of modes or “scales,” that championed a freedom for the soloist not seen before in jazz.
They should know about the stark plaintive sound of the Miles Davis trumpet, how he had a way of making brief but concise statements, never being pretentious.
Let them know about pianist Bill Evans, and his simmering heat under-the-surface style, pianist Wynton Kelly’s bubbly blues on “Freddie Freeloader,” and Paul Chambers’ bass playing... as in the pocket as a bassist can be.
You also have John Coltrane feeling his oats, soloing over top of these new modes, and Cannonball Adderley’s exuberant and upbeat alto sax style, he’s the perfect counter-point to Coltrane’s more visceral playing.
Drummer Jimmy Cobb holds it all together with subtlety or fire, what ever the composition demands. His brushwork is especially noteworthy on the album.
My favorite track is “All Blues,” a wonderful medium tempo jaunt down a crowded New York City street circa 1959. The entire record is a masterwork believe me.
Kind of Blue’s genius is in the modern, yet contemporary easy going vibe. Anyone, of any background could find something within the album to savor. It's modern and years ahead of its time, yet contemporary more than 55 years after its creation.
It has been nearly 20 years since I first heard Kind of Blue, and I have listened to it via cassette, CD, download, and surround sound. I believe the definitive way to listen to any Miles Davis album is on original Columbia 6 eye label vinyl...but the 1997 Sony CD remaster is very good I must say, and the expanded liner notes are worth having anyway.
I know many audiophiles who swear by cassette versions of this of the same 1997 remaster. I've never seen that cassette, one day I hope to hear it.
Herb Alpert's Music Should Be in Every Collection
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Alpert has crammed 2 lifetimes into one with his accomplishments
When you think of the greatest selling acts of the 1960's, artists like The
Beatles, El...
Jutta Hipp: New Faces From Germany
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Originally a Blue Note 10 inch LP. New Faces in Germany is very brief
clocking in at less than 30 minutes, Jutta Hipp displays a very interesting
sound to...
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There is no point denying how imperfect Big Fun is, at times it does feel thrown together like some cosmic stew of international sounds.
