Miles Davis (1926-1991)

[San Antone]

An excerpt taken from those worthy documentaries I posted a page back ..

[asin]B00069FKN2[/asin]
When he released "Bitches Brew" in 1970, Miles Davis opened up a new angle to jazz which stirred up emotions like no other record before. Some critics accused Davis of selling out, while the public bought it like crazy. It is one of the most examined albums of all time, even garnering a box set of the sessions. To date, "Bitches Brew" is one of the top selling jazz albums of all time. "Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue" examines the next step in the creative process...performing these songs live. The 1970 Isle of Wight featured an array of performers from The Who to Jethro Tull to Joni Mitchell. With improvisation playing a big role in the performance, the band (Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Gary Bartz and Dave Holland) had to be "on", yet ready to change on the fly. Directed by award-winning producer Murray Lerner, "Miles Electric" sits down with several of the performers who played with Miles, interspersed with his 1970 Isle of Wight performance, as well as artists such as Carlos Santana and Joni Mitchell, who describe the impact Miles Davis had towards music.

I will probably get that DVD - looks good.

[San Antone]

Side one
"Right Off"

Side two
"Yesternow"

Personnel

The first track and about half of the second track were recorded on April 7, 1970 by this sextet:
Miles Davis – trumpet
Steve Grossman – soprano saxophone
John McLaughlin – electric guitar
Herbie Hancock – organ
Michael Henderson – electric bass
Billy Cobham – drums

The "Willie Nelson" section of the second track (starting at about 13:55) was recorded on 18 February 1970 by a different and uncredited lineup:
Miles Davis – trumpet
Bennie Maupin – bass clarinet
John McLaughlin – electric guitar
Sonny Sharrock – electric guitar
Chick Corea – electric piano
Dave Holland – electric bass
Jack DeJohnette – drums

Miles plays some of his best on this record, and never sounded this strong, including any period of his career, in all registers of the horn.  The sessions that produced this record were spread out over two days in 1970, but the material used for most of Side One was accidental - with the band jamming before Miles had arrived, and Herbie Hancock being grabbed as he was walking through the building (not scheduled to even be on the date) and drafted to play organ.

The rhythm section of Cobham, Henderson and McLaughlin play some of the hottest, funkiest, electric jazz ever recorded and Miles matches their energy hit for hit.  Teo Macero inserted Miles quoting Sly Stone and an ambient textured section before the band comes back with the original groove.

The second side is more complicated matter, personnel-wise.  The first half is the same band as on Side One, but the second half uses a different group of musicians and was even more pieced together.  When I first listened to this album I was blown away, but never more-so that as Side Two was ending I was shocked out of my reverie by Brock Peters's forceful quote from Jack Johnson. 

The album has other quoted material besides from Sly Stone.  Michael Henderson uses the slowed down bass line from James Brown's Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud for Yesternow.

Several other albums would emerge from those sessions, Big Fun, Directions and continued to be released piecemeal for years.

If I had to pick a high-point from Miles's electric studio releases - this would be it.

[San Antone]

For me, it's the opening track Right Off in particular.

I meant to qualify that by adding "from the studio releases" - since I consider the Cellar Door live recordings, which first came out in truncated fashion on Live-Evil, but with the release of the box set Cellar Door Sessions 1970 document the best playing, I think, of any electric band he led. 

[San Antone]

The Cellar Door sessions were completely recorded and only one night was included on Live-Evil, and arguably not even the best stuff.  The complete sets as released in the box set have some amazing playing on them, and as I said, document his best band.

We Want Miles is good but nothing on those dates can match the Cellar Door sessions, or Right Off.

[San Antone]

Sure, I too heard it as it was first released.  But I am interested in hearing the live stuff in its complete form as opposed to only cut up and spliced into other studio material.   I generally prefer live jazz to studio recordings, but of course there are plenty of great records done in the studio.

But, this thread is not about you or me, I started it to create a place for Miles's complete recorded history and a place for people to discuss Miles Davis under any circumstances, much like the composer threads. 

[San Antone]

I think it's more interesting & engaging to talk about Miles's recorded legacy from our own personal perspective of it, that is what I thought we were doing. Miles's work being the focus, still. Otherwise we can just visit other sites to read all of the old news you're posting.

Well of course that is the point, to discuss it from our own perspectives.  I wanted to offer a place where the records are listed in chronological sequence and provide some context for the various periods of his career.   I hope people would read those posts and treat them as jumping off points to discuss the music.  Not everyone knows as much as you do about the music and albums and I thought others might appreciate having the details of the personnel and a little about the recordings to add to what the know about the records.

[San Antone]

Live/Evil (1971)

The 2-LP album used live performances from one night at the Cellar Door club and the rest was made up of studio tracks from the following sessions:

Columbia Studio B, NYC, February 6, 1970

Gemini / Double Image

Miles Davis (trumpet)
Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone)
Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul (electric piano)
John McLaughlin (guitar)
Dave Holland (electric bass)
Jack DeJohnette (drums)
Billy Cobham (triangle -1,2)
Airto Moreira (guica, percussion)

Columbia Studio B, NYC, June 3, 1970

Selim   
Nem Um Talvez

Miles Davis (trumpet)
Steve Grossman (soprano saxophone)
Keith Jarrett (organ)
Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock (electric piano)
Ron Carter (bass)
Jack DeJohnette (drums)
Airto Moreira (percussion)
Hermeto Pascoal (voice, drums)

Columbia Studio B, NYC, June 4, 1970

Little Church

Miles Davis (trumpet)
Steve Grossman (soprano saxophone)
Keith Jarrett (organ)
Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock (electric piano)
John McLaughlin (guitar)
Dave Holland (bass, electric bass)
Jack DeJohnette (drums)
Airto Moreira (percussion)
Hermeto Pascoal (voice, drums, electric piano)

"Cellar Door", Washington, DC, December 19, 1970

Sivad   
What I Say
Funky Tonk
Inamorata

Miles Davis (trumpet)
Gary Bartz (soprano, alto saxophone)
Keith Jarrett (electric piano, organ)
John McLaughlin (guitar)
Michael Henderson (electric bass)
Jack DeJohnette (drums)
Airto Moreira (percussion)

Bob Palmer of Rolling Stone said that "this sounds like what Miles had in mind when he first got into electric music and freer structures and rock rhythms", and praised each band members' soloing on the album's "extended, 'blowing' tracks": "Everybody is just playing away, there aren't any weak links, and there isn't any congestion to speak of. Miles reacts to this happy situation by playing his ass off, too".  Palmer felt that "Little Church", "Nem Um Talvez", and "Selim" are "what used to be called 'ballads'. They feature larger groups but there aren't any solos. Just stunning, bittersweet lines [...] Each of these tracks is under four minutes, and they are all things of great beauty".

In a 1981 review, Robert Christgau said that, apart from the meandering "Inamorata", the "long pieces are usually fascinating and often exciting", including "Funky Tonk", which he called Davis' "most compelling rhythmic exploration to date". He added that "the four short pieces are more like impressionistic experiments", and that "Selim" and "Nem Um Talvez" appropriately "hark back to the late '50s."

In a retrospective review, Down Beat magazine said that Live-Evil "isn't pyrotechnic techno-dweeb fusion, but an outstandingly creative electric collage."

In his 1997 review for JazzTimes, Tom Terrell hailed the album as "a seamless mixture of studio and live", and "Miles' true electric rite of passage."

Allmusic editor Thom Jurek called its tracks "fine and deeply lyrically grooved-out" and described the album as "the sound of transition and complexity, and somehow it still grooves wonderfully", finding "the live material" to be "wonderfully immediate and fiery".

Edwin C. Faust of Stylus Magazine dubbed Live-Evil "one of the funkiest albums ever recorded" and commented that its "somber" short pieces "are haunting examples of musical purity—Miles enriching our ears with evocative melodies (his work on Sketches of Spain comes to mind) while the bass creeps cautiously, an organ hums tensely, and human whistles/vocals float about forebodingly like wistful phantoms".

Erik Davis, writing in Spin magazine, called Live-Evil "kinetic" and said that it "splices together live chunks and cool studio vignettes, and features the Hindu heavy-metal fretwork of John McLaughlin."

[Karl Henning]

Most interesting, thank you.

[San Antone]

Side A
"On the Corner"
"New York Girl"
"Thinkin' One Thing and Doin' Another"
"Vote for Miles"
"Black Satin"

Side B
"One and One"
"Helen Butte"
"Mr. Freedom X"

The personnel and music for this album was from the following sessions:

Columbia Studios, NYC, June 1, 1972

Miles Davis (trumpet)
Dave Liebman (soprano saxophone)
Harold Williams (organ, synthesizer)
Chick Corea (electric piano)
Herbie Hancock (electric piano, synthesizer)
Collin Walcott (electric sitar)
John McLaughlin (guitar)
Michael Henderson (electric bass)
Jack DeJohnette, Al Foster,
Billy Hart (drums, percussion)
Badal Roy (tabla)

On The Corner
New York Girl   -
Thinkin' One Thing And Goin' Another   -
Vote For Miles

Columbia Studios, NYC, June 6, 1972

Miles Davis (trumpet)
Carlos Garnett (tenor saxophone)
Harold Williams (organ, synthesizer)
Chick Corea (electric piano)
Herbie Hancock (electric piano, synthesizer)
Collin Walcott (electric sitar)
David Creamer (electric guitar)
Michael Henderson (electric bass)
Jack DeJohnette, Al Foster, Billy Hart (drums)
Badal Roy (tabla)

One And One
Helen Butte / Mr. Freedom X

Columbia Studios, NYC, July 7, 1972

Miles Davis (trumpet)
Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet)
Carlos Garnett (soprano saxophone)
Harold Williams (organ, synthesizer)
Chick Corea (electric piano)
Herbie Hancock (electric piano, synthesizer)
Khalil Balakrishna (electric sitar)
David Creamer (electric guitar)
Michael Henderson (electric bass)
Jack DeJohnette, Al Foster, Billy Hart (drums)
Badal Roy (tabla)

Black Satin

On the Corner, while appearing to be a funk-influenced, vamp-structured, jam is really more complex than that.  What Miles and, especially, Teo Macero did was to take the rhythm section vamps and splice in pieces of solos from various performances.  At the time it came out it was not well received but critical appreciation has steadily improved over the years and with the release of the Complete On the Corner Sessions in 2007, a fuller appreciation of this album was made possible.  It is now seen as the culmination of where Miles was headed since In a Silent Way, and was his last real new studio recording.  While there were still two more albums to come out before Miles went into retirement in 1975, Big Fun and Get Up With It, those albums were put together from material already recorded.





This period has been completely documented with the following Columbia Complete Sessions box sets:

Complete Bitches Brew Sessions



Complete Jack Johnson Sessions



Cellar Door Sessions 1970



Complete On the Corner Sessions



It is one of the most fertile periods of Miles's career and along with the studio recordings, there are many live sets that came out and continue to come out of these bands and music.

At Fillmore East



Black Beauty: At Fillmore West



In Concert



Dark Magus: Live at Carnegie Hall



Agharta



Pangaea



Miles, exhausted and creatively spent, disbanded his group and stopped performing and recording from 1975 until 1980.

[San Antone]

Miles's Late Period (1981–1991)

Studio releases:   
The Man with the Horn (1981)
Star People (1983)
Decoy (1984)
You're Under Arrest (1985)
Tutu (1986)
Music from Siesta (1987)
Amandla (1989)
Aura (1989)
Dingo (1991)
Doo-Bop (1992, posthumously)

Live recordings:
We Want Miles (1982)
Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (1993, posthumously)

Miles's trumpet chops came back completely by 1982 and he continue to get stronger with each year - his playing is frankly awesome on the live dates.  My feeling is that the studio releases are not where he is at his best and the live recordings is where it's at for this last period.



This 20-CD, The Complete Miles Davis @ Montreaux: 1973-1991, is an amazing document of the last decade of Miles's life, all but the first two discs, which are from 1973, contain performances from 1984-1991.  These recordings contain some of his best playing, and most of the bands he put together during this period are represented.  Listening to the last date, July 16, 1991, less than three months before he was to pass away, his playing is as strong as it ever was.

Pretty amazing.

[7/4]

Aura, Star People and Decoy are great albums.

[San Antone]

Aura, Star People and Decoy are great albums.

"Great" is a relative term when speaking of Miles Davis.  Are they great albums compared to Kind of Blue, Nefertiti or Jack Johnson?  I don't think so.

But, hey, YMMV.

[7/4]

"Great" is a relative term when speaking of Miles Davis.  Are they great albums compared to Kind of Blue, Nefertiti or Jack Johnson?  I don't think so.

But, hey, YMMV.

They're great when I compare them to his other albums from that era.

[7/4]

Miles's Late Period (1981–1991)

Studio releases:   
The Man with the Horn (1981)
Star People (1983)
Decoy (1984)
You're Under Arrest (1985)
Tutu (1986)
Music from Siesta (1987)
Amandla (1989)
Aura (1989)
Dingo (1991)
Doo-Bop (1992, posthumously)

Live recordings:
We Want Miles (1982)
Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (1993, posthumously)

You left out the Hot Spot with John Lee Hooker.

[San Antone]

You left out the Hot Spot with John Lee Hooker.

You're right.  I haven't heard that one, and only vaguely know about it. 

Why don't you post about it or anything else that I left out. 

[7/4]

I haven't listened to it in a few years, but I remember that if you've heard Miles and JLH...that's what it sounds like. Miles plays the blues.

[San Antone]

I added a poll to the thread.

[7/4]

I added a poll to the thread.

Easy to answer, but I love it all.

[North Star]

I added a poll to the thread.

Oh my, we are pretty boring at the moment. 1st and 2nd great quintets are my favourite periods, but I haven't listened to the fusion & later much at all, Pangaea must be the latest I've heard, and it's good stuff, too.

[Karl Henning]

Live Evil had been entirely off my radar, but I am very much digging the longer tracks.