Miles Davis - Amandla (1989)

Not my favorite Miles album, but there's still some interesting stuff going on. The album was mainly co-produced by Tommy LiPuma & Marcus Miller and while I definitely hear Miller's influence, I can't tell if LiPuma had much input at all. In the late '80s, R&B became much more reliant on synths and drum machine and, for me, that move seemed to dehumanize the soul of the music. And while the music on this album isn't R&B, it is heavily influenced with those trends of the time (FWIW, Wikipedia claims that "the album mixes elements of the genres go-go, zouk, funk and jazz" and I had to look up 'zouk.'). The music has tight grooves, brief solos, and the playing is fantastic, but, save for the final tracks, it mostly runs together. Then again, Miles' output in the '80s frustrated many of his fans and that statement would probably bring a wry grin to his face.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "Miles may not be creating the same groundbreaking work that was the hallmark of his first three decades, but that doesn't mean that his current material isn't wholly enjoyable."
• Musician: "those looking for a more natural consolidation of vintage and electric Miles will be pleasantly surprised."
• CashBox: "Miles talks about moving ahead, but he's in a rut."
• DownBeat (★★★★): "I'm glad that Miles remains committed to making music that's modern (or post-modern) - especially when he does it this well."
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #177
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1
• CashBox Jazz: #2

Tracks: My favorite track is the title track, followed by Jilli and Mr. Pastorius. In other words, the last half of the disc is better than the first half.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I saw Miles on tour promoting this album (Dallas, June 10, 1990) so I probably heard at least one of these tracks live.

5th row!

Previously revisited for the blog:

At Newport 1958 (2001)	Bitches Brew (1970)
Panthalassa Remixes (1999)	In A Silent Way (1969)
Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)	At Carnegie Hall (1962)
Acoustic (1996)	Sketches of Spain (1960)
Live Around The World (1996)	Kind Of Blue (1959)
The Hot Spot Soundtrack (1990)	Milestones (1958)
Music from Siesta (1987)	'Round About Midnight (1957)
Tutu (1986)

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)

Directions in Music by Miles Davis

Why that title? Theories abound. Here's some examples from Paul Tingen over at JazzTimes

The background of the title is unknown, but a clue is provided by the absence of an apostrophe at the end of the word “bitches,” making “brew” a verb, not a noun. Carlos Santana speculated that the album was a “tribute” to “the cosmic ladies” who surrounded Miles at the time and introduced him to some of the music, clothes, and attitudes of the ’60s counterculture. Gary Tomlinson, on the other hand, assumed that “bitches” referred to the musicians themselves. Just like “motherfucker,” the term “bitch” can be used as an accolade in African-American vernacular. Whatever the title meant, it sounded provocative. Teo Macero remarked, “The word ‘bitches,’ you know, probably that was the first time a title like that was ever used. The title fit the music, the cover fit the music.”

In any case, the title historically brought about a little anxiety for producer Macero:

merch available!

I won't go into great detail about the groundbreaking recording sessions here. That information, along with details on alternate takes and tape editing, is available in this brief oral history from 1999 and/or one of the better books in the 33⅓ series, written by George Grella:

The album would eventually spawn the use of the word "fusion" as a music genre. Meaning "jazz-rock fusion," the terminology ultimate falls short because, while the music is both, it is neither. My best attempt at describing the music is an understated mix of rhythm-driven blues funk. Plus, from the above-mentioned book: "abstract, formless, resolutely non-commercial music that has substantial popular appeal." (p. 102) Headphones recommended.

I normally wouldn't say anything about vinyl being preferable to compact disc, but the double LP set does have two distinct advantages:

1. the full, fold-out cover art on the gatefold sleeve by artist Mati Klarwein
   
2. the time required to flip over the sides and change the record give the listener time to recover and absorb what has just been heard.

Reviews/ratings:

• Stereo Review: "going to be as influential upon the jazz of the Seventies as Davis' 'All Blue' [sic] was upon the jazz of the Sixties - and that's saying a lot"
• Billboard: "More adventures of Miles in the hybrid musical landscape that he is making his own."
• CashBox: "instant jazz classic"
• Rolling Stone: "Miles' music continues to grow in its beauty, subtlety and sheer magnificence."
• Record World (★★★★): "Without question one of Miles' most important albums."
• Robert Christgau (A-): "Enormously suggestive, and never less than enjoyable, but not quite compelling. Which is what rock is supposed to be."
• Downbeat (★★★★★): "You'll have to experience this for yourself - and I strongly advise that you do experience it."
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000):★★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★★

In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Bitches Brew at #87.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #35
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• Billboard R&B: #4
• CashBox: #43
• Week-by-week chart breakdown

Tracks: My favorite track is Spanish Key, but my favorite track title is Miles Runs The Voodoo Down. I often make weak attempts at incorporating similar phrases into my life.

Wife: Could you stop by the grocery store for some bell peppers?
Me (under my breath): Mark runs the produce down.

There's really no bad track as they're all so innovative. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down was butchered to 2:49 for a single release with Spanish Key (down to 2:50) as the b-side.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I was 17 years old, one of my high school directors tried to get me to give this album a listen, but the music is admittedly hard to describe and my idea of jazz at the time was smooth jazz. Needless to say, I didn't even give it a chance. Probably for the best. I wasn't ready at 17 and not really sure I'm ready all these years later. But the journey is a gas.

Back in 1993, I suggested to my wife that we name our firstborn son Miles. She nixed the idea with one of her peremptory challenges.

Previously revisited for the blog:

At Newport 1958 (2001)	Tutu (1986)
Panthalassa Remixes (1999)	In A Silent Way (1969)
Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)	At Carnegie Hall (1962)
Acoustic (1996)	Sketches of Spain (1960)
Live Around The World (1996)	Kind Of Blue (1959)
The Hot Spot Soundtrack (1990)	Milestones (1958)
Music from Siesta (1987)	'Round About Midnight (1957)

Blog post #1950

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (1959)

The 1986 "Jazz Masterpieces" CD release, notable for 1) not correcting the original recording speed for what was side one (tracks 1-3), which caused this release - and all those prior - to be slightly off-pitch, and 2) the bizarre decision to replace the original artwork with a blurry photo of Miles from his electric period in the '70s.

Regardless, this is still a masterpiece and always a treat to experience. Check out my thoughts on the 1997 reissue here: https://markscds.blogspot.com/2013/02/miles-davis-kind-of-blue-1959.html

Previously revisited for the blog:

At Newport 1958 (2001)	Tutu (1986)
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)	In A Silent Way (1969)
The Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)	Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)	Sketches of Spain (1960)
Live Around The World (1996)	Kind Of Blue (1959)
The Hot Spot Soundtrack (1990)	Milestones (1958)
Music from Siesta (1987)	'Round About Midnight (1957)

Miles Davis - Tutu (1986)

German Import (although the price tag on my jewel case is listed in Polish złoty, so who knows)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by a CD.

After 30+ years on the Columbia label, Miles signed a huge deal with Warner Bros., teamed up with writer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller and produced this overlooked gem. Critics generally hated it at the time, but nobody really understood what Miles was trying to accomplish when he was pushing the envelope, which he did often. Critics later came around; when everybody else catches up to a pioneer, it becomes easier to appreciate the work of the pioneer. I make no claim of understanding Davis' aims, but to me, this album sounds like an attempt at recapturing and updating what he did on In A Silent Way, focusing on improvising over a good groove with melody relegated to the back seat. Most of the efforts were written and performed mainly by Miller (bass, guitar, synths, drum machine programming, bass clarinet, soprano sax) and the collection of material here is better than anything else Davis had put out in the previous ten years. If you want to understand the totality of Davis' career arc, this album should be on the required listening list of his latter years, along with The Hot Spot Soundtrack.

The album won two Grammy awards: Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist for Miles and Best Album Package for art director Eiko Ishioka.

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox: "his strongest of the records he's made since 'Man With The Horn'"
• Billboard: "Davis carries the set, with more extensive solo blowing than on any recent album"
• Robert Christgau (B+): "Minor, and his best in a decade."
• New York Times: "for all its up-to-the-minute hardware, already sounds curiously dated."
• Musician: "Well, 'scuse me for livin', but I like this album"
• DownBeat (★★★★): "the man is still blowing. And more power to him."
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #141
• Billboard R&B: #61
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #2

Tracks:  When I first purchased this album in the '80s, I only liked the unlikely cover of Scritti Politti's Perfect Way. I still like that one a lot, but now I can appreciate other funk groove tunes like the title track, Tomaas, Splatch, and Full Nelson. I don't particularly care for track 7, Don't Lose Your Mind, but I gotta hand it to Miles - not many people would put electric violin, bass clarinet, and synth orchestra hits into a reggae jam.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  This album reminds me of a girl I had a brief, cyclonic relationship with around the time of this album release. Let's just say this girl was a few fries short of a Happy Meal. If I was having a hard time interpreting what Miles was doing here, she didn't stand a chance of figuring it out.

Previously revisited for the blog:
At Newport 1958 (2001)
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
The Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
The Hot Spot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1990)
Music from Siesta (1987)
In A Silent Way (1969)
Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Sketches of Spain (1960)
Kind Of Blue (1959)
Milestones (1958)
'Round About Midnight (1957)

Miles Davis - 'Round About Midnight (1957)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2001 reissue with four bonus tracks.

Just Miles being Miles. Spectacular debut of what would come to be known as his "first great quintet" including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. It was also Davis' first album on the Columbia label. It's got a little bit of everything: hard bop, ballads, straight ahead swing, show tunes, standards - the track listing probably closely resembles one of the band's live setlists from one of their live performances around that time. It's some sweet stuff, Daddy-o. Davis was a real bang-tail gone cat. This is one of those albums I listen to and think to myself, "Why don't you listen to this more often, you big dummy?!?" If you believe Wikipedia (and, in this particular case, I do), this album is universally acclaimed:

Excellent liner notes on this reissue. I could live to be one hundred and have ten professional portraits taken every day of my life and I'd never have a photo as cool as that cover shot. Essential.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★★★): "let me say that you should buy this LP immediately"
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:  I enjoy all ten, including the bonus tracks. Today, my favorites are All Of You, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Two Bass Hit.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Purchased around the time of its 2001 re-release, when I was in full-on "Miles mode," a phase that lasted for several years in the early 2000's.

Previously revisited for the blog:
At Newport 1958 (2001)
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
The Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
The Hot Spot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1990)
Music from Siesta (1987)
In A Silent Way (1969)
Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Sketches of Spain (1960)
Kind Of Blue (1959)
Milestones (1958)

Miles Davis - At Newport 1958 (2001)

Recorded July 3, 1958 in Newport, Rhode Island. The '58 festival was a tribute to Duke Ellington, but in typical Davis style, he doesn't give a care and plays what he wants. The result is a smokin' live performance by the band that would record Kind of Blue within a year of this gig. However, this album is the exact opposite of Kind of Blue. Miles pulls out all the stops and the bebop set is fast, furious, and full of emotion. The band is frantic but cookin'. There are times when the band is trying to push boundaries and don't quite succeed, but in cases like this, the effort is more important than the result. Some might complain about the recording quality, but it was the '50s and outdoors, so I think it sounds pretty good, all things considered.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart:  Did not chart

Tracks:  Of course its all top notch, but today I'm groovin' on Straight No Chaser and Bye Bye Blackbird.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  Purchased around the time of its 2001 re-release, when I was in full-on "Miles mode," a phase that lasted for several years in the early 2000's.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
The Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
The Hot Spot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1990)
Music from Siesta (1987)
In A Silent Way (1969)
Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Sketches of Spain (1960)
Kind Of Blue (1959)
Milestones (1958)

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (1959)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1997 reissue that includes an alternate take of Flamenco Sketches.

Simply the greatest jazz album of all time.

Ratings/reviews:

• Downbeat (★★★★★): "This is the soul of Miles Davis, and it's a beautiful soul."
• CashBox: "Another great Davis session."
• Billboard: "wonderfully bluesy and yet imaginative jazz"
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz, 9th ed., 2008 (♕★★★★): "If you have anything approximating to a jazz collection, you will already have this record"
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985): ★★★★★

Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Kind Of Blue at #31.

Tracks:  It borders on sacrilege to pick a favorite, but I've always been partial to Freddie Freeloader and All Blues.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I use this album as an aural gateway drug. Every now and then, a person approaching middle age will come to me and say something like, "I want to start listening to jazz." I tell them to buy this album (heck, you can legally download the whole thing from Amazon for $2.99), listen to it at least once a week for six months, then come back and talk to me. I also recommend the book Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece by Ashley Kahn ("No, you can't borrow my copy."). Admittedly, my method of jazz music indoctrination has met with varying results, but what method wouldn't?

Previously revisited for the blog:
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
The Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
The Hot Spot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1990)
Music from Siesta (1987)
In A Silent Way (1969)
Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Sketches of Spain (1960)
Milestones (1958)

The Hot Spot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1990)

The best soundtrack CD you've probably never heard. You might not have heard of the movie, either. No matter, here's all you need to know: this soundtrack is 40 minutes of bluesy collaboration between John Lee Hooker and Miles Freakin' Davis. Nasty. If those words alone don't convince you, and you still think you need to know more than that, click here.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: It's all good and should be listened to as a whole. Stand out tracks are Coming To Town, Harry's Philosophy, Sawmill, Bank Robbery, and Blackmail.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This music is perfect for porch-sittin' on a hot summer night. I have used it for such an occasion many, many times. I've only seen the movie once, about ten years ago.

Miles Davis - The Complete Birth of the Cool (1998)

Note: this reissue pairs the 12 tracks from the 1957 compilation album, the Birth Of The Cool with tracks recorded at The Royal Roost, NYC in September, 1948.

Birth Of The Cool may be the best album title of all-time and the fact that it is a Miles Davis album makes it that much the better. The original 1957 album cover:

For more on the history and development of the album, check out this article: jazz.com. Also, this reissue offers pages and pages of excellent liner notes.

Not my favorite Miles Davis - I'd rather listen to his quintet with Coltrane or In A Silent Way. Still, it's a great example of Miles being Miles and pushing the envelope in many directions at the same time. Here, the innovation is the nonet instrumentation, a more contrapuntal style of writing, and the lighter, relaxed post-bop style that would thereafter be known as cool jazz. Almost 80 years on, the style has been so imitated that it is hard to hear the innovation out of historical context, but that just shows how influential these recordings are. This move away from bebop makes these sessions one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz (but those words pretty much describe everything Miles did, don't they?).

In 1987, this album was selected by Blue Note as one of the 25 Best Albums on the label.

Tracks: Even thought I rarely listen to this CD, I do like the songs Move and Venus De Milo. The 13 live tracks sound amazingly good considering they were recorded "Symphony Sid" radio broadcasts from a night club in the late '40s.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I was in college in the mid-'80s, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, who performed on these tracks, did a clinic on campus with the university's jazz band. I went and heard him play, but had no idea who I was listening to. I was such a knucklehead.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
Music from Siesta (1987)
In A Silent Way (1969)
Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Sketches of Spain (1960)
Milestones (1958)

Miles Davis - In A Silent Way (1969)

I would call this a groundbreaking album, but every time an album was issued by Miles, it was already understood that it would be groundbreaking. Did Miles invent fusion music here? Could be. Music writers/critics/historians say this is the first of Davis' fusion recordings, while marking the beginning of his electric period. Talk about an all-star cast: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Josef Zawinul, John McLaughlin, and on and on. Most jazz should swing, this just grooves. All the critics give this 5 out of 5 stars and it's well-deserved because it is a timeless masterpiece. I recommend listening to this late at night. A lot has been written about this album, I encourage you to go out and read as much as you can about it.

original liner notes

In A Silent Way or Kind Of Blue? If you had to get only one jazz album, I'd say get Kind Of Blue, but go ahead and buy In A Silent Way while you're at it.

Update: In 2017, it was ranked at #9 on Pitchfork's list of the 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox: "gem-like brilliance and perfection"
• Billboard: "long pieces full of changing moods and tempos"
• Stereo Review: "a truly indispensable recording"
• DownBeat (★★★½): "the frequency of significant musical events on this album is rather low"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #134
• Billboard R&B: #40
• Billboard Jazz: #3

Tracks: Just two tracks. The first side of the LP is Shhh/Peaceful and the flip side is In A Silent Way/It's About That Time. If CDs had been around back in '69, Miles might have been tempted to produce one long track. In any case, it's all good. I usually find myself preferring the second track, particularly when the awesome bass line kicks in around the 8:20 mark.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Discovering this for the first time about 30 years after it was released and being mad at myself for not listening to this before. This music was also used well in the 2000 film Finding Forrester.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
Music from Siesta (1987)
Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Sketches of Spain (1960)
Milestones (1958)

Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain (1960)

GEOGRAPHY WEEK (JANUARY 8-14, 2012)

I fully acknowledge Miles Davis as a musical genius and his playing here is spectacular, but I just don't listen to Sketches Of Spain as much as I probably should. I'm a fan, but I have to be in exactly the right frame of mind to listen to it properly. And even then, it must be listened to at a relatively loud volume with headphones in order to catch all the subtle nuances. A modern masterpiece, it has placed on many top album of all time lists since its release. Groundbreaking stuff, typical Miles.

Ratings/reviews:

• Stereo Review: "This is one of the very best jazz albums of recent years."
• High Fidelity: "Davis' playing is more consistently to the point than on any of his earlier discs."
• Billboard: "Davis plays with his usual aplomb and the backings are a gas."
• CashBox: "A great LP"
• DownBeat (★★★★★): "This record is one of the most important musical triumphs that this century has yet produced."
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½

Update: In 2017, it was ranked at #43 on Pitchfork's list of the 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.

Tracks: Concierto De Aranjuez is my favorite track with Will O' The Wisp a close second.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember buying this at a Plano-area CD store around 1990 and thinking how hip I was for buying Miles Davis instead of Wilson Phillips.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
Music from Siesta (1987)
Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)
Milestones (1958)

Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962)

1991 Japanese Import (mono)

Miles didn't want this recorded, but Teo Maceo recorded it anyway, just for a historical artifact. After the show, Miles decided to release it anyway, so what we're stuck with is essentially a soundboard recording. So the sound isn't as good as it could have been, but Miles and the band bring it anyway. It's an interesting idea (but wasn't that always Miles' trademark) to bring his acoustic group and add some tasty support by Gil Evans and his orchestra. Coltrane had left Miles by then, and while no one could possibly replace him, Hank Mobley does a great job and adds his own voice without trying to imitate Trane. This May 19, 1961 concert was one of only two shows Davis and Evans performed together. Great stuff. I'd listen to this more often if the sound were better, but once I get past that, it's all good.

The original album liner notes feature reviews of the May 19, 1961 concert as printed in the New York Times, the New York Herald Tribune, and DownBeat magazine.

Davis - trumpet
Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone
Wynton Kelly - piano
Paul Chambers - bass
Jimmy Cobb - drums
with Gil Evans and his 21-piece orchestra

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "some of the best Miles Davis around"
• High Fidelity: "this is a compelling disc"
• Stereo Review: "The release is an important addition to the Davis discography."
• DownBeat: ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #59

Tracks: For me, the highlights are an uptempo So What and a swinging No Blues. Unfortunately, Someday My Prince Will Come is way too short because Miles walked off during a protest against the concert's organizers by Max Roach at the foot of the stage (read Miles' autobiography for more on that).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Purchased in the early 2000's when I thought I had finally figured out Davis enough to appreciate him.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Live Around The World (1996)
Music from Siesta (1987)
Milestones (1958)

Miles Davis - Live Around The World (1996)

This CD gives you a definitive look at Miles Davis' live shows from the last three years of his life. Many of Miles' fans dismissed his later work, but I feel those critics are too focused on his playing and not looking at how he was approaching music, the sound of his band, the arrangements, the instrumentation. As always, Miles was pushing things forward. He didn't care what you thought about his music, anyway. Funky, poignant, swinging, haunting, groovy and remarkable.

Ratings/reviews:

• Billboard: "Miles' soloing remains unmistakably piercing and poignant"
• Stereo Review: "well made but hardly memorable."
• DownBeat (★★★★): "the band out-performs my memories of frustrating, uneven concerts"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #4
• CashBox Jazz: #5

Tracks: The first two tracks, In A Silent Way and Intruder, are segued seamlessly with funky effect. A great way to start the CD. To me, the highlight of the disc is the 13 minute take on Human Nature with an incredible tenor solo by Kenny Garrett. Miles knew it was incredible, too. Miles rarely spoke at a concert, but after Human Nature, you can hear him ribbing Kenny, saying, "That wasn't nuthin', man. I do that every night." Also good are Amandla and Tutu. I don't care for Time After Time but that's mainly because I'm not a Cyndi Lauper fan and I don't think it's a well-written song. That 10 minute track normally gets skipped. The final track, Hannibal, is taken from Davis' last performance. Even though the date and location aren't listed in the liner notes, author George Cole claims that the date was August 25, 1991 and the location was The Hollywood Bowl.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I saw Miles around the time of these recordings in Dallas on June 10, 1990 at the Starplex Amphiteater in Dallas as part of JazzFest '90 (the festival also included Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, McCoy Tyner, and Lee Ritenour). I wish I had known enough to understand everything that Miles was doing at that show..

5th row!

Previously revisited for the blog:
Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)
This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)
Music from Siesta (1987)
Milestones (1958)

Miles Davis - This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (1996)

A wonderful 9 track sampler of Miles' work between the years of 1955-1965. Includes performances by John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Cannonball Adderley, Tony Williams, Wynton Kelly, etc. True Miles' fanatics will notice the similarity of this album cover to that of Round About Midnight. If you only own one Davis CD, it should be Kind of Blue, but if you want to go beyond that classic, this would be a good starting point if it wasn't OOP (there's always iTunes, I guess). Heck, if you only own one jazz CD, it should be Kind of Blue.

Tracks:

1. 'Round Midnight (from the album 'Round About Midnight)
2. Stella By Starlight ('58 Sessions)
3. Springsville (Miles Davis/Gil Evans Complete Columbia Studio Recordings)
4. Summertime (Miles Davis/Gil Evans Complete Columbia Studio Recordings)
5. So What (Kind Of Blue)
6. Someday My Prince Will Come (Someday My Prince Will Come)
7. Seven Steps To Heaven (Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel 1965)
8. Walkin' (Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel 1965)
9. E.S.P. (ESP)

They're all top notch, of course. I may have my jazz card revoked for saying this, but I'm not the biggest fan of 'Round Midnight. That said, this version by Miles is my favorite of that particular standard. The sequencing of Springsville (track 3) next to Summertime (track 4) is a nice touch. My favorite track on the disc? It's a toss-up between So What and Someday My Prince Will Come.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This particularly CD kept me company on many late night trips home after football games in El Maton. The music is relaxing but, fortunately, never sleep-inducing.

Miles Davis/Various DJ's - Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999)

Remix albums like this one are often a mistake for all parties involved, but this one isn't all bad. This CD allows DJ's to remix tracks from 3 Miles Davis albums from his "electric period": 1969's In A Silent Way, 1972's On The Corner, and 1974's Get Up With It. Why mess with classics? There's no way you can improve upon these songs. With Miles gone, Columbia has to find new ways to make more money from the music he left us, right? A product of its time, this release is heavy with drum-and-bass techniques. Would Miles like the end result? Probably, but I'm sure he would rather have laid down some new tracks instead of reusing tracks from 25+ years earlier. I'm not sure Teo Macero liked it, though. Miles always wanted to keep up with current trends. So, while this CD is good, it's not as good as I had hoped, nor as good as it could have been.

Tracks: Only 5 tracks here. You wouldn't think that a remix CD would clock in at under 50 minutes, but here it is. My favorite track is King Brett and Philip Charles' remix of Shhh. In A Silent Way is one of my favorite Miles recordings, so I am very disappointed in DJ Cam's remix included here - it's almost abrasive. On The Corner is funky enough as it is - no remix required, but Bill Laswell gives it a shot anyway. Very repetitive. Very repetitive. Very repetitive.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. I can't even remember how I was led to this particular album.

Miles Davis & Marcus Miller - Music from Siesta (1987)

This is a soundtrack CD to a movie I've never seen. I can't remember how I was led to this release, but I'm a fan of Sketches of Spain as well as Marcus Miller, so why not give it a shot. I probably bought this around the year 2000 when I was going through what I'll call a Miles Davis phase as I was experiencing a renewed interested in playing trumpet. Interestingly, the music is dedicated to Gil Evans, the man behind Sketches of Spain. It has some very nice, tasteful playing from Davis. It's refreshing to hear him play without a mute. As the title implies, the music has a Spanish flavor, but is very ethereal and, well, sounds like soundtrack music. Miller wrote all the music and plays most of the instruments (often including an out-of-place bass clarinet). The synthesizer sounds are dated and that's often a distraction. I'm thinking a live orchestra might have worked better than a synth pad. Overall, not something I'd normally seek out, but I would imagine after repeated listenings it might grow on me.

Reviews/ratings:

• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★½
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: It's a soundtrack, so it is difficult to single out tracks. The main purpose of soundtrack music is not to be noticed. That said, the track titled Conchita/Lament sounds less like a soundtrack than other cuts.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember first listening to this on my back porch late one summer night while smoking a cigar. I wonder what my dogs thought about this music.

Miles Davis - Milestones (1958)

Enough analysis of Miles has been done to the point where I don't think that anything I write about this CD will be adequate. This release documents the transition from blues-based bop to the modal way of writing that would reach its peak with Kind of Blue. Amazing. Is it sacrilegious to say that I enjoy Coltrane's playing on this disc more than that of Miles?

Davis - trumpet, piano (on Sid's Ahead), flugelhorn (on Milestones)
Paul Chambers - bass
John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
Julian "Cannonball" Adderey - alto saxophone
Red Garland - piano (all tracks except Sid's Ahead)
"Philly" Joe Jones - drums

Ratings/reviews:

• Stereo Review: "absolutely fascinating"
• High Fidelity: "warm, firmly formed, assertive lines with all the lyricism his admirers have long claimed for him."
• Billboard: "one of Miles Davis' best to date."
• CashBox: "slickly creative features"
• DownBeat: ★★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★

Tracks: Difficult to choose, of course, but my current favorites (subject to change) are Sid's Ahead, Two Bass Hit, and Straight No Chaser.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I'm not fond of my college trumpet professor for many reasons, one of them being that I was not encouraged/forced to listen to Miles Davis when I was studying trumpet. I'd ask for a tuition refund, but then the university would probably revoke my degree. Also, when choosing names for my sons, I offered up the name Miles as a possibility, but that suggestion was quickly vetoed by my wife. Ah, well...at least I tried.