Soon to be overwhelmed by Miles

Did not really own any MD until recently but my son checked out "Kind of Blue" ad not we are trying to find any MD when we go hunting. On vinyl I only have a "Greatest Hits" LP. I recently picked up "Aura" on CD for a $1.50.

Hey, Nod....Truly, Kind of Blue is one of those albums that any self respecting jazz collection has just gotta have. With on the spot, superb musicianship and that irresistible sound, KoB is just a wonderful album that captures each musician in their element.

Interestingly, you bring up another fave of mine: Mr. Bill Evans. I call him The Master of the Diminished Chord....If there was anybody at the keys who brought the bop movement down, it was Mr. Evans, for sure. In my book, he was a master of understatement and finesse. In his inimical, quiet, contemplative way, Mr. E just knew how to dim the lights with a note; how to hush the crowd with a pause....In KoB, Evans added a layer to the recording that has rarely--if ever--been matched. Alongside J. Cobb's brush strokes, I find listening to Evans' performance on KoB truly mesmerizing and enchanting.

Congratulations on your gift, and keep up the good notes. Your flair for words is quite a treat!

Funny, I enjoy Evans also, but Mr. Davis was to eventually find his style restrictive. I don't think Miles was sparked by another pianist until Corea.

Good point, Poppa...! I like Corea. Has a nice touch and a wonderful extemporal sensibility that is definitely appropriate to the medium. Can't understand Miles' antipathy. Even his playing was rather taciturn (especially compared to some of his later works (anybody recall You're Under Arrest?). Sadly, I don't know that much about (Corea's) contributions with Miles; but now that you mention it, I will certainly check it out and post accordingly.

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Originally Posted by Auricauricle

Good point, Poppa...! I like Corea. Has a nice touch and a wonderful extemporal sensibility that is definitely appropriate to the medium. Can't understand Miles' antipathy. Even his playing was rather taciturn (especially compared to some of his later works (anybody recall You're Under Arrest?). Sadly, I don't know that much about (Corea's) contributions with Miles; but now that you mention it, I will certainly check it out and post accordingly.

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*****es Brew is the most notable. On a solo note, I have "My Spanish Heart" and "Crystal Silence" which has Gary Burton on vibes. Both are exceptional but MSH stands out as possibly one of his best.

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Originally Posted by poppachubby

Funny, I enjoy Evans also, but Mr. Davis was to eventually find his style restrictive. I don't think Miles was sparked by another pianist until Corea.

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Only 10 albums through the chronology and I'm beginning to sense that Miles felt anything that forced him to do the same thing twice was restrictive. :-) With the exception, apparently of Gil Evans arrangements (Sketches being next).

Obviously, there'll be a lot of Mr. Corea later, but I'm going to stick to the order and resist my own urge to name drop future albums. But, for those keeping score at home, Chick has already made an appearance on #03 Circle in the Round. (post number 18). He played piano on the last track Guinnevere.

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Originally Posted by thekid

Did not really own any MD until recently but my son checked out "Kind of Blue" ad not we are trying to find any MD when we go hunting. On vinyl I only have a "Greatest Hits" LP. I recently picked up "Aura" on CD for a $1.50.

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I've always been partial to the random purchase mode of exploration, although AR has changed that over the years with good leads and suggestions. It's nice to see a Jazz sub-community slowly emerging here. There's so much out there and its really hard to find what you like with out guidance. I've been salivating over all the recent activity in the What's Spinning thread.

With good suggestions and Amazon you can fill out, or for that matter start, a good collection really easily. I don't have ready access to good music shops anymore and I find it sad that where I can buy CDs, the stock is very very thin in the Jazz section. On the plus side, what is there is dirt cheap and... I've always been partial to the random purchase mode of exploration. If my ears had more time I'd be adding everything to the shopping basket. For the Miles thread, I keep the links up for the sampling for a bit over a week. If there's a must have that you can't locate, PM me.

A few years ago there was a jazz essentials thread. I'll see if I can dig that up.

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Originally Posted by noddin0ff

A few years ago there was a jazz essentials thread. I'll see if I can dig that up.

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Well I did find a list of my recommendations from a while ago. CLICK THIS.

It's probably worth a separate thread if a favorite best album discussion is going to ensue. The William Parker Quartet album I mentioned somewhere above would be the most notable addition I would make to the list. I'll stop digressing and get back to listening to Sketches of Spain...

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Originally Posted by noddin0ff

Only 10 albums through the chronology and I'm beginning to sense that Miles felt anything that forced him to do the same thing twice was restrictive. :-) With the exception, apparently of Gil Evans arrangements (Sketches being next).

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Indeed, Gil Evans was an avante garde jazz nut who collaborated with Davis. But BILL EVANS was a more tradtional jazz pianist, who prefered the more structured approach to jazz piano. Bill Evans left the group around this time due to artistic differrences with Davis. Davis began to view the piano's melodic ways restrictive to the free flow of music.

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Originally Posted by noddinOff

I've always been partial to the random purchase mode of exploration, although AR has changed that over the years with good leads and suggestions. It's nice to see a Jazz sub-community slowly emerging here. There's so much out there and its really hard to find what you like with out guidance. I've been salivating over all the recent activity in the What's Spinning thread.

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I am watching your thread closely. I am only partially knowledgable about Miles Davis career, and can only comment accordingly. Indeed, I feel he same way as you about his early orchestra and big band work. Keep in mind that it took a while for jazz to fully develop into bop. Also, alot of the young guys wanted to cut their teeth in big band.

I like Miles Davis fine, but I much prefer the work Freddie Hubbard did. Every bit as genius...

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Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio)
Will O’ The Wisp
The Pan Piper
Saeta
Solea
Song of Our Contry*
Concierto de Aranjuez (alt take 1)*
Concierto de Aranjuez (alt take 2)*

1960
Line up
Miles (trumpet) and a host of others

Someday, I’m going to watch the Wizard of Oz while listening to the Dark Side of the Moon. Might not be earth-shattering, but it could be cool. Along those lines, I think that Sketches of Spain could be listened to while watching The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. It would be a perfect fit-- barren landscapes, gritty and empty melodrama, and a overwhelming lack of soul. I really don’t see why people like this album. It’s technically good, sure, but I see comments that this is a very accessible album or easy to like and I just don’t get it. I find it vaguely irritating, not that interesting, and accessible in the way the infomercials are accessible. I wouldn’t want infomercials playing in the background either. If you like this album, you might want to stop reading here.

I’ve had a copy for easily 20 years and I basically never want to listen to it. I think it’s a shame it gets so much attention as a classic entry point into Miles and or Jazz. Downbeat (5 stars), Penguin Guide to Jazz (5 stars) Allmusic (5 stars), Pitchfork (10 of 10) [data from Wiki, btw]. I’m sorry, this is a case of the Emperor not having any clothes. It’s marginally jazz. I can’t imagine any Jazz artist citing this as an influence. Shoulda subtitled the album ‘Death of the Cool’.

Yes, it’s based on Spanish folk themes and, from what I read, good Spanish compositions, but frankly I’d rather hear the folk music instead of hyper-arranged faux folk. Although, I know lots of composers and musicians do mine ethnic folk themes to good effect. [to go on a tangent, I like Shostakovich for that reason]. Maybe I just don’t have an appreciation for Spanish folk.

Song by song…

1) Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio): This one irritates me right away. I don’t find the clicky percussive start all that engaging or authentic sounding, then the gushy Gil Evans shifty chords. Bleh.

2) Will O’ The Wisp: At times I almost think I’m about to like this track. It’s got a bid of a pendantic march style to it that nearly appeals. Maybe it’s because that’s as close as we get to swing here.

3) The Pan Piper: Nothing to see here. On the plus side, it’s short.

4) Saeta: Corny. We’ve transitioned from the pendantic march of #2 to a full blown dress parade introduction followed by a wavering Miles solo that makes me think of a Spanish tinged Taps mixed with Revelry. Bugle call on siesta.

5) Solea: About this time on my 4th pass through today [I have it playing on repeat, god help me], I think I realized that Miles’ wavering off note trumpet phrases in Saeta #4 are really an attempt to mimic the squeak of fingers across the strings of a guitar. If true, that’s kind of impressively, technically cool. Too little to late with that brainshot, I suppose. At 2 minutes into this track, we finally get some rhythms that move. By contrast with the rest of the album this is damn near a joyous moment. Something finally gelled and perhaps the band is going to have some fun. Miles is playing expressively. Nearing 4 minutes, hints of over arrangement threaten to steal the joy, then 20 seconds later return to the back seat and get out of the way while Miles nearly improvises. You can tell the arrangement still wants to back seat drive though. 7 minutes in still good, and it continues to the 12 minute finish! So, cut the first 2 minutes off and we’ve found one track I enjoyed. I turned to the web for clues as to why-- "Solea," which is conceptually a narrative piece, based on an Andalusian folk song, about a woman who encounters the procession taking Christ to Calvary. She sings the narrative of his passion and the procession -- or parade -- with full brass accompaniment moving along.. Hmm, maybe this makes sense in the Mardi gras type of procession? That’s Christ themed too, right?

6) Song of our Country: Sigh…there’s bonus tracks.

7&8) More takes of the annoying first track.

So there. Take a stand for or against, and tell me why.

Next up: Directions

What! No one out there bold enough to say they like Sketches of Spain? You shouldn't take my word for it.

Hahaha...not a very engaged audience here. I like it fine. Just as the big band/orchestra flavour, I think you have a very distinct idea about what the sound of jazz is, at least to you. This album was the beginning of Davis' attempts to start smashing that. Just a big mess of horns without piano, etc. Listenable, but nothing to get you out of your seat.

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Originally Posted by noddin0ff

What! No one out there bold enough to say they like Sketches of Spain? You shouldn't take my word for it.

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I like it. I have it on LP and CD. There isn't much by Miles I don't like.

PC: Have you heard Freddie Hubbard's Red Clay and First Light? Both on CTI

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Originally Posted by JoeE SP9

PC: Have you heard Freddie Hubbard's Red Clay and First Light? Both on CTI

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I have Red Clay on vinyl and CD. I haven't even heard First Light. Have you got it Joe? I'm avoiding the "download all his stuff" route, and listening to things as I physically acquire them. There's a nice record show coming to town in May. One of the vendors has a fine Hubbard collection. He also has the last Benson I need, White Rabbit.

I'm finding that some of Hubbard's best work is as a sideman. Red Clay is a treat, as is Here to Stay. I think my favorite performance, so far, has got to be his work on Hancock's Empyrean Isles. With no other brass accompaniment, he did a wonderful job at being improvisational while pulling off some of his greatest melodies. The dynamic of that album, and the challenges it presented him, are an excellent example of Hubbbard's greatness.

I've been listening to Roy Hargrove lately. If you haven't heard it, "The Vibe" is a fantastic album.

Hey noddinoff, what are your interests in jazz? Favorite instrument? Favorite player? I already presume hard bop is your favorite period/style. Do you listen to vinyl or just CD?

To get a better handle on Davis, I would suggest listening to some other players. As mentioned in this thread already...

Lee Morgan
Freddie Hubbard
Roy Hargrove

Obviously there are many to choose from. Those three are "greats" with very accessible styles.

I agree with the approach proposed by the inimitable poppachubby. I like to hear the great artists' followers and predecessors and get a feel for the whole thread of the art.

I like Freddie Hubbard's work with CTI and own a few. I think by now I have supplied you with enough hosannas for First Light, which any self respecting jazz aficionado must own. Red Clay is another great choice to be sure, but don't quit until you have found a good, crisp copy of Sky Dive. This album is very musical and technically very engaging. Hubbard's playing, in the tradition of all his CTI recordings is just superb, and the arrangements are sharp, focused and keep me tapping my toes for hours....

Check out the line up: Ron Carter, George Benson, Billy Cobham, Airto, Hubert Laws, Keith Jarrett and, of course, Freddie. Starting with the first track, Povo, a 14:43 funky strut number, the playing is restrained but not too much so. Hubbard's playing is given its berth and Freddie plays as though he has a story to tell. His horn just shimmers through the riffs, but never running astray from his crew, and he lets Laws and Benson get their licks in and graciously steps aside. Always a pro, that Freddie...

Winding things down a little bit is In a Mist. Freddie plays the opening passage with a full, round sound that belies the trumpet; for a moment you might swear it's a cornet, but Freddie plays through and soon enough, the brassy edge comes back, red hot. This is followed by the first playing of Naturally, a sweet little number played with sparing and easy-as-you-do-it charm. Just 5:54 long, it's a nice come down from its predecessor, just a dollop of whipped cream for the cool sundae.

Soon enough the music fades and we hear something familiar...The Godfather Theme? Yep. But this time it's Freddie playing it, and he plays it with a languid grace that is almost saucy. The notes just bend through the horn, as Ron Carter's bass thrums along. And then, Keith gets to play, and his piano opens like a crocus...right there.

And then, finally, the CTI sound returns with Sky Dive. Crisp, clean, funky, but never too much. The swing is easy on the ears as it is on the mind, the boys are in sync and all is fine. Freddie floats through the piece, light on his feet as ever, just a few deft pops here and there, a gentle nudge there and he's done. Benson comes through now, just plucking and grinning--you know he is, as Cobham's drums just tip and tap to the beat....

As though Hubbard has one more thought, Naturally returns with one more pass, quick before the disc is over. Now, the musicians are getting ready to go, its been a great jam and it's time to go home. No one's sad, though, they feel good, it's been a hoot and everybody's feeling a spring in their step and looking forward to the next gig.

Anyway, that's just my two bits....Just needed to free associate a bit.

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Originally Posted by poppachubby

Hey noddinoff, what are your interests in jazz? Favorite instrument? Favorite player? I already presume hard bop is your favorite period/style. Do you listen to vinyl or just CD?

To get a better handle on Davis, I would suggest listening to some other players. As mentioned in this thread already...

Lee Morgan
Freddie Hubbard
Roy Hargrove

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I'm probably bop and forward...'cept I wouldn't part with Billy Holiday. I don't think I'm too focused although, so far I'm not an acid, smooth, or fusion jazz type. I tend to anchor myself around Mingus (I like big band but I like it messy or swinging) and Coltrane in the classic department. Tend more toward sax, piano, drum and bass. Have a few Hubbard's no Roy. In the trumpet arena I've never picked too much up. Nicholas Payton and Terrence Blanchard being recent exceptions. Lately, I've been liking the current latin influxes into Jazz (not necessarily Jazz to latin, if that means anything). Although not really recent, Bebo Valdez is great. I used to grab up Joshua Redman (Sax) but I think I like his Coltrane-like album Beyond most. Put in another plug for William Parker Quartet: Petite Oiseau. Been digging into female vocalists on and off.

Guess I don't compartmentalize myself well. There's a lot of great classic stuff. Too much actually to take it all in. Plus, I like to keep an ear out for new sounds.

"It's all music." -- Duke Ellington

Nice write up Auric, I'll be checkin that one out.

Noddin you sound like you have a nice, well rounded collection. I tend to the trumpet myself. I think Blue Note were exceptional for their range of sax players. One of my faves lately has been Joe Henderson. Inner Urge is a masterpiece. I have been spinning Barcelona also, but it'd be too avant garde for you.

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Originally Posted by poppachubby

Nice write up Auric, I'll be checkin that one out.

Noddin ..... I have been spinning Barcelona also, but it'd be too avant garde for you.

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Well, depends on the genre of avant garde. I love John Lurie and The Lounge Lizards for instance. But I'll keep Joe Henderson in mind.

I think you may be spot on about Blue Note and Sax. I think most of my introduction purchases were Blue Note. I didn't know anyone else particularly interested in Jazz at the time so I just purchased by Label and by 4 or 5 stars in Downbeat. Mostly served me well. :-)

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Song Of Our Country (1960)
'Round Midnight (1961)
So Near, So Far (1963)
Limbo (1967)
Water On The Pond (1967)
Fun (1968)
Directions I (1968)
Directions II (1968)
Ascent (1968)
Duran (1970)
Konda (1970)
Willie Nelson (1970)

Released in 1981, but spans 1960-70 hence the placement at #12 in the chronology.
Line up: Miles (trumpet) and a host of others

I needed to take some time off from my Mile’s project. At first, this seemed like a good place to take a break. As the days and weeks passed, however, this album became an albatross around my neck. It’s another unfairly positioned album and placed in the chronology at 1960 when most of the tracks flash forward past the next 9 albums. On top of that, it is a 2 disk set and, thus, quite a lot to absorb. It became impossible for me to take it in in one sitting. I couldn’t encapsulate the whole thing in a few comments. I had to go song by song. Actually though, in retrospect I can make a general statement that I wouldn't run out and buy this. I didn't get much enjoyment out of it as an album and it was rather long and inconsistent as a compilation.

Song by song…

1) Song of Our Country:
My first reaction was, “Oh, no! Please not that bonus track from Sketches of Spain. But then this was actually better than that other version. I guess it didn’t suck enough to deserve inclusion on SkofSp. It has some bounce and swiing that was lacking from SkofSp. Heck, it even sounds like they Miles might be enjoying himself.

2) ‘Round Midnight:
Recorded Live at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, 1961.
Includes Wayne Shorter (tenor), Wynton Kelly (piano) Paul Chambers (Bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Wow. Miles adds some high register sizzle on this. Lots of interesting things going on in this T. Monk standard. Even some latin rhythms to close it out. Overall, it meanders more than other versions I recall.

3) So Near, So far:
George Colman (tenor), Victor Feldman (piano), Ron Carter (b), Frank Butler (d)
An uptempo, open, bouncy and happy sounding piece. The opening bass really struck me as a hallmark sound of what I associate with the albums I’ve heard from the 70s. Tentative and non-committal, open to possibilities, begging for expansion. I know that’s a lot to infer from 8 or so bars. Especially when the rest of the track sounds more conventional. I guess you could claim that this is transitional, or at least hints at the upcoming transition in sound.

4) Limbo (W. Shorter, composition):
Shorter (tenor), Herbie Hancock (piano), Buster Williams (bass), Tony Williams (drums)
A notable line up with Hancock, Shorter, and T. Williams. This is also sound that I associate with jazz from the late 60s-early 70s, more so with piano and drums now. That optimistic, maybe naïve or ‘world is full of wonder’ sound and open sound with a little trace of avant garde. Things I have that I think of as I listen include Herbies Speak Like a Child, McCoy Tyner Expansions. I can’t quite describe what Miles and Shorter do with their harmony on their entrance (should’ve paid attention in intro to music theory instead of checking out legs). Something about the tight intervals. Maybe someone can explain it to me. Could just be a novel modal scale? You can sort of tell from the album titles the gist of what I think it trying to be communicated in the music. The ‘free your mind’ ‘be like a child thing’. Track seems longer than it is…doesn’t really go anywhere. ‘Limbo’ is apt.

5. Water on the Pond (M. Davis):
Shorter (tenor), Herbie Hancock (elect. piano), Joe Beck (elect guitar), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).
Getting a little funky now. Electric instrumentation taking over. Propulsive and straight ahead rhythm, bass line. Little splashes of color from T. Williams and Herbie. And then a light lilt as Miles enters on trumpet. I suppose you could imagine ripples and gentle waves, some raindrops. Wonder if water on the pond is a regional expression…the pond is water, I don’t get the ‘on’.

6. Fun (M. Davis):
Shorter (tenor), Herbie Hancock (elect. harpsichord), Bucky Pizzarelli (elect guitar), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).
Didn’t care for this one much. A bit of a hodge-podge that starts with a ‘fiesta’ opening and then noodles off somewhere.

7&8. Directions I & II (J. Zawinul) :
Shorter (tenor), Chick Corea (elect. piano), Herbie Hancock (elect. piano), Josef Zawinul (elct. Piano, org), Dave Holland (bass, elect bass) Jack DeJohnette (drums, percussion), Teo Maceero (percussion).
Well. The line up is dramatically different here. Three electric pianos for one. Two percussionists. Nobody but Miles really taking up any sense of melody. Mostly a driving, noodle-y piece with short bursts of notes. II seems more melodic than I. Note that these have Zawinul as composer.

9. Ascent J. Zawinul):
Shorter (tenor), Chick Corea (elect. piano), Herbie Hancock (elect. piano), Josef Zawinul (elct. Piano, org), Dave Holland (bass, elect bass) Jack DeJohnette (drums, percussion), Teo Maceero (percussion).
A slower, sort of pretty bit of noodley. Some nice soloing by Shorter. I saw Shorter live with Hancock about 11? years back with Hanckock. Shorter can get a bit cerebral, methinks. But, he can really nail a piece with his expressiveness and control thereof. Maybe Ascent is forgettable, however, Shorter really came through in this. Miles sounds really sterile in comparison (compare shorter @4:35-7:15 and briefly @9:20-9:40 with Miles @9:50

10. Duran (M. Davis):
Wayne Shorter (soprano sax), Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet), John McLaughlin (elect guitar), Dave Holland (elect. bass), Billy Cobham (drum).
Here’s a track that asks, and probably deserves to be noticed. Good ol’ funky bass line, some fuzzy electic guitar. Pretty good meeting of rock and funk and Miles. I think what makes this stand out in my auditory memory and sets the hook is the bits of drop time here and there. They don’t happen much, but they catch your attention and make you realize you were actually jammin’ along with the tunes. Shorter and Maupin really come together well. All in all, I’d say this is a standout piece. Miles provides nice, almost counter-statement to the group that gels the piece. …or somesuch BS on my part…

11. Konda (M. Davis):
Keith Jarrett (e-piano), John McLaughlin (e guitar), Jack DeJohnette (drum) Airto Moreira (percussion):
A bit of a let down after Duran. Pleasant enough. There’s a nice happy pastoral-organic feel to the first two-thirds then gets a little more rocking toward the end. I’ll back off on my ‘let down’ statement’. Konda has much more to it than Duran, more feel, more complexity. More of a hidden gem, I suppose. Not sure what accompanies Miles at 2:40…e-piano? Might by some midi thing from Miles? There’s no sax or reed credited. I’m no musician. There’s a berimbau mentioned but I don’t know what one sounds like. Clearly we’re getting into altering sound, however. Good percussion. Makes me wish I was bold (or young) enough to put on some tie-dye and go dance in the dandelions with some good looking hippie chicks.

12. Willie Nelson (M. Davis):
Steve Grossman (sopr. sax), John McLauglin (e guitar), Dave Holland (e bass), Jack DeJohnette (drum)
Like Duran, on the funky side. I have no idea why it’s called Willie Nelson, unless they were also smokin’ a big joint on this. Didn’t care for this track very much. Not really sure why. Sounded a little cliché? The bits of phrases just seemed to remind me of other better jazz riffs.


I’m happy to be able to move on to the regular temporal progression. I'm already listening to the next up and finding it, by comparison, rather pleasant and old timey.

Next up: Someday My Prince Will Come

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Someday My Prince Will Come
Old Folks
Pfrancing
Drad Dog
Teo
I Thought About You
Blues No. 2*
Someday My Prince Will Come [Alternate]*


Line up
Miles (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor, not on track 5), John Coltrane (tenor, 2nd Tenor on track 1, track 5) , Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums, track 2 only), Jmmy Cobb (drums, all but track 2).

I actually found it very comforting to come back to Someday My Prince Will Come after Directions. The title track opens with some tentative bass notes that made me think the tone of the album would be more modern than it turned out to be. It gave way to happy, warmer tones, gentle playful chords on the piano, and romantic sounds from Miles. The way Someday romances reminded me of 1958 Miles. The beauty on the album cover, Frances Taylor, is Miles’ wife at the time.

It doesn’t quite have the magic spark that would make it a great album but it is certainly a worthy one. I’m not sure if I’m just a Coltrane fan-boy or not, but as I was listening (before looking at the line up, btw) the album came across as warm, inviting, and comfortable. Only in a couple sections did it really seem to expand into something tha reached out andt grabbed my attention. A quick look at the notes and, yup, those were the Coltrane bits. However, even without the Coltrane, this could easily be a jazz fan’s favorite album of the moment. Minus Coltrane, it’s still exceptionally sweet, balanced and sometimes nostalgic, working subtle magic with restraint and a nice touch.

There’s a few reviews I read that commented that it’s a bit unfair to laud Coltrane in comparison to Mobley, and that’s probably true. However, Coltrane puts his mark out and it’s difficult not to notice. The booklet says that Miles was about to wrap up recording Someday when Coltrane made a surprise appearance between sets he was performing at the Apollo. And there you have it. Drad Dog is apparently a tribute to the supportive president of Columbia records, Goddard Leiberson, spelling his name backward. Pfrancing - Prancing frantic dancing - is a tribute to Frances.

More on this album than on the earlier albums, I found myself really enjoying Miles’ playing. He really seemed to be in a good zone and. Interesting phrases and melodies, real nice emotive playing. I didn’t feel he was controlling his instrument to the point of taking the life out of the music (contrast to my favorite punching bag, SkofSp, e.g.). Miles came across as more personal, and more integrated with the group instead of taking the role of intellectual leader. Of course, this could very well be because of the group who, with the exception of Coltrane, followed his lead beautifully. (Coltrane took the lead, beautifully)

Teo is the interesting song of the album for me, exotic, intense and languid. I liked Cobbs drumming too. A lot goes right on Teo.

This is an album every well stocked jazz fan should have and a nice surprise for me as I make my way through the box.

Next up: Friday Night -- Miles Davis in Person at the Blackhawk, San Francisco

Great write up Noddin. Let me also say that your dedication to this thread is superb. Although the response isn't all that great, I think in terms of the net and Davis fans, this will be a great addition. Superb for anyone just discovering him.

I like Someday my Prince will Come. The contrast of Mobley and Coltrane is indeed a large one. Mobley continues to be underrated to this day. Ironically, it was Coltrane's shadow he had to sit in. This happened to alot of great sax players. Coltrane was just that great, and different. In the jazz world, think of Coltrane's impact similar to that of Nirvana's Nevermind say. Many things went to the wayside once he showed up. After he got clean, it was a done deal.

IMO, Mobley's style is very listenable. He is realistically one of the originators of "smooth jazz". When I say smooth jazz, I'm not talking about anti-jazz wanking.

I think Mobley represented something between Donaldson and Parker, although much stronger on the Donaldson side.

This album has a great rhythym section. I can listen to Chambers and Jones all day and night.

Again, great work Noddin and enjoy!!

A couple MUST own Mobley LPs. Notice the line ups, he was tight with Chambers and Jones. My personal fave is Soul Station although most would say Workout is his best. To me, this is smooth jazz, not the nonsense you hear today. There are however some good smooth artists.

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Originally Posted by poppachubby

IMO, Mobley's style is very listenable. He is realistically one of the originators of "smooth jazz". When I say smooth jazz, I'm not talking about anti-jazz wanking.

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Heh, heh. Well put! Mobley certainly falls into the 'new to me' category. Thanks to AR, I have a copy of Roll Call that I need to listen to more. I appreciate the suggestions, especially with the art. Squinting at the lineups, Soul Station looks like the safest bet. I'll have to add a few to my Amazon list. I agree with you on the percussion. I was thinking about commenting more on it, but then weighed what I would say against my minuscule knowledge of the percussive arts and figured it would sound pompous. ;-) But then on the other hand, what's a forum for if not to climb on a soapbox for which one is not qualified to occupy? It's a fun project for me. I doubt I'd ever get through the set without this goal. Thanks for the kind words, and for filling in your own thoughts. I appreciate them!

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Oleo
No Blues
Bye Bye (Theme)
If I Were A Bell*
Fran Dance
On Green Dolphin Street
The Theme*
All Of You
Neo*
I Thought About You*
Bye Bye Blackbird
Walkin'
Love, I've Found You

Line up
[i]Miles (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor, not on track 5), John Coltrane (tenor, 2nd Tenor on track 1, track 5) , Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums, track 2 only), Jimmy Cobb (drums, all but track 2).

A series of live albums now coming up. This and the next are subsequent nights in the same venue.

I listened to Friday Night a bunch of times right after the last post and tried to write something up. I wasn’t really getting into the album. I wrote up this sort of frustrated take on Oleo…

Oleo: As I read here and there, I’m getting an appreciation for what hard bop is and why Miles was getting frustrated with it. I think Oleo more or less exemplifies this, not that it’s a bad track. Miles was frustruated the only way you could break new ground with hard bop was to add more notes and scales. Oleo is packed with them. It’s a Sonny Rollins composition and although I don’t have the Rollin’s version, I can see why it would suit him. Fluid scales and smooth sounds. This version just seems overly busy to me, however.

And the rest of the album was just falling flat on my ears. So, I took a long break. Sometime during the summer I was out mowin’ the yard (I should’ve thought of the Music for mowin’ thread I had…dang). And I put this album on and, man, was I in a good mood. My thought was, “Now, this is the concert I was hoping to hear when I saw Miles in the 80’s.” (around 1985, I had just gotten into jazz with the classics of Miles, Monk, Mingus, and Coltrane. I had Kind of Blue and ‘Round About Midnight on the mind. Miles played nothing of the sort, and I left a bit confused.)

So… This is probably what the ‘classic’ Miles concert should sound like. Well executed, somewhat ‘safe’ compared to where Miles is going with the last few albums, but with enough solos and synergies to keep it moving. The line up is close to a dream team.

The strengths of the album for me are the 10+ minute tracks. I dig when a good theme gets a chance to play out. I’m listening to On Green Dolphin Street as I type and thinking, “Yah, 12 minutes is about right.” You just don’t quite get the sense of freedom on a studio album. I don’t think this take is amazing or anything; just solid and…free. (Well, if it were played by lesser knowns it would be amazing). Even the next track, All of You, which I find kind of boring as a melody, gets a real nice treatment over the course of nearly 16 minutes. Someone can fact check me on this…I was really enjoying the solo around the 8-9 minute mark…I think it was Mobley (looks like I should pay more attention to Mobley, anyway). It just really opened up the melody for me, nothing flashy, and breathed some life into it, still keeping it tender at the heart. That’s the ‘freedom’ I like and what is good about this album. Overall, nothing surprising here.

This is a 2-disk album. Nearly two hours. That’s a long concert for one night. Several track have been added back to this release (*) that complete the live set. Would’ve been nice to have been there.

You can read a bit of Mile's comment about this gig and Mobley via Google. This passage is quoted in the booklet that comes with the set. Funny in retrospect that I picked out Mobley to comment on above. Also addresses the


Next up: Saturday Night --

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If I Were A Bell
So What
No Blues
On Green Dolphin Street*
Walkin'*
'Round Midnight
Well You Needn't
The Theme

Autumn Leaves*
Neo
Two Bass Hit*
Bye Bye (Theme)
Love, I've Found You*
I Thought About You*
Someday My Prince Will Come*
Softly As In A Morning Sunrise*


Line up
Miles (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor), John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) Jimmy Cobb (drums).

Quick note. I messed up the line up for #14 Friday Night. It should be the same as this post for Saturday Night. I forgot to change it over from #13.

Saturday Night is another 2-CD set. Many tracks not on the original LP.

Listening? Not surprisingly, Saturday Night is similar to Friday Night. As you might infer, this is the next night’s live show (August 14). On the downside, I noticed that this recording completely misses the bass player throughout, and other members sometimes wander in and out of recording range. Well, not the piano or drums. So, rephrase, Mobley and Miles sometimes wander. On the upside, I thought Mile’s had more fire and sizzle this night. What I think of as his usual total control over his instrument isn’t quite there; his playing is less than perfect, with some blown, and many on the verge of blown, notes. I think the recording benefits from his intensity and willingness to push the limits more than usual. So, although the compositions aren’t so forward leaning, for the total Davis-head fan, this could be a good listen to hear him pushing himself a bit. ‘Course, maybe his lips were just tired... The rest were solid but I didn’t think they were as good as the night before.
Several Monk compositions on the list. Monk and Coltrane had put out their stellar collaboration a few years earlier (1957); I image the crowd would be looking forward to hearing them. Piano was good throughout. The rest of the band suffered variably from poor recording. Still, it would’ve been a good concert to be at. I’m not really willing to go back and listen to Friday Night in order to make better comparisons. If you qualify by the fact that I listened to the two albums separated by a fair amount of time, I’d say the Friday was the better night.

Next up: Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (May 19, 1961)

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So What
Spring Is Here
Teo
Walkin*
The Meaning of the Blues / Lament*
New Rhumba

Someday My Prince Will Come
Oleo
No Blues
I Thought About You*
En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor*



Line up
Miles (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor), John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) Jimmy Cobb (drums); plus a ton of people in the orchestra.

Hey, 2 reviews in a day! I know you've all been eagerly waiting for more...heh. I've been thinking about giving these albums a scoring system. 1-5 noddins, perhaps. With the counterintuitive 5 noddin's being good. I'm not sure whether to give this 3 or 4 noddins. But, there's your explanation for the :sleep: (noddins). Take them with a grain of salt. I doubt I can consistently apply them.

The notes in the booklet were interesting, so I’m retyping them here in full.

“In order to raise money for the African Research Foundation, Miles appeared at Carnegie Hall, joined by Gil Evans on several pieces including “Spring is Here,” inspired by a Bill Evans arrangement. The atmosphere was tense. Miles, in the wings, confided his stage fright to a bottle of bourbon while Teo Macero prepared to record the concert on the theater’s mono equipment, in secret since the trumpeter had refused the idea. The thrilling introduction to “So What,” arranged by Gil Evans, began the evening on a note of grace. Soon the rhythm section crackled like dry wood, inciting Miles and Hank Mobly to outdo themselves. Miles, who thrived on conflict, would be well served. After intermission, while the concert resumed with “Someday My Prince Will Come,” Max Roach displayed placards on stage denouncing the colonial character of the African Research Foundation. Miles left the stage. Persuaded to return, he showed his anger in the fire and blood he brought to “Oleo” before gradually calming down for the grand finale of “Concierto De Aranjuez”

Well, despite my established record of Gil Evans bashing, I have to agree that the introduction to “So What” was pretty dang good. Five minutes into my first listen and I am thinking that it is a real shame there wasn’t multi-channel SACD for this concert. I confess to having difficulty enjoying mono-recordings or poor recordings. I mean, what’s the point in listening to great performances if you can’t hear the greatness? However, “So What” is completely enjoyable.

Next track, “Spring is Here”, took some of my excitement away. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the Gil Evans arrangement that did it. It was the bad miking. Miles just blows away the levels to a nearly painful degree. Of course, one can’t blame the engineers since this was a stealth recording anyway. This is a bit of a problem throughout. Some tracks more so than others.

Excitement returns with “Teo”. At this point I’m wondering if I’m enjoying the album so much more because the previous two were just not that good, or if this one is actually something special, or if today is just a good day to listen to Jazz. Hard to say with these subjective things. Either way, “Teo” is really doing it for me. It’s all in the whirling rhythm section. I’d appreciate it if someone who knows the technicals of what is going on would explain it to me. I can just barely count well enough to realize that there’s some 3 against 4 going on in the 3/4 time signature. But there’s some sort of propulsive thing going on that I know I like when I hear it and I’ve never been able to figure out what the ‘magic’ is.

Keep right on blazing into “Walkin”, Mobly on a good run. and even the slip back into the Gil Evan’y The Meaning of the Blues/Lament didn’t bother me too much. Again on the recording quality, I wonder if the reason I’m not shutting my ears to the orchestral Evan’s bits is simply because the quintet is louder relative to the orchestra. I’ll be that a properly produced recording would have balanced the orchestra in better with the result that I’d be complaining about it more. To my ears here, the orchestra is just a nice bit of ornamentation behind the quintet. But, on attempting to listen more, it could be the orchestra is simply more ‘jazzy’ than it was in my previous harangues. They do seem more punchy, in a big band way rather than atmospheric in the orchestra mode. More so in “New Rhumba”

Set 2 comes back with a short and sweet “Someday…” followed by a sizzling “Oleo.” Miles is great and Mobly equally so.

As copied in the notes above, Miles potentially had an ax to grind with Max Roach. This puzzles me because nowhere in the liner notes in the booklet or on the reprinted album are there any indications that Max Roach was present. Hmmm. So, I did some Googling and found Max Roach’s obituary (2007) in the The Independent (UK). Link to the article
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ob...ch-462049.html

“Some of Roach's protests about inequality were not universally well received. He was blacklisted by the American recording industry for a period during the Sixties.

One of the most artistically successful concerts of the time was given by Roach's friend Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall with the Gil Evans orchestra on 19 May 1961. It was a benefit for the African Research Foundation. The author Ian Carr recalled what happened:

This hugely successful concert was almost spoiled and cut short by a political incident. When Miles was in the middle of "Someday My Prince Will Come", Max Roach, dressed in a white jacket and carrying a placard on which was painted "AFRICA FOR THE AFRICANS! FREEDOM NOW!", walked up and sat down on the stage apron, while Davis and the crowd looked on in amazement.

A moment later Roach was joined by another demonstrator. Miles waved his trumpet at Roach in dismay and then stopped the music and walked off stage. Security guards carried off Max Roach and his companion, and backstage people talked Miles into going back on, which he eventually did to prolonged applause. The anger Davis felt expressed itself in the even greater intensity of the music.

When asked later what he thought Roach had been doing, Davis replied, "I don't know . . . Ask him." Carr recounted Roach's explanation:

Roach said "I was told some things about the Foundation that I thought Miles should know. Some people tried to contact him, but they couldn't get to him. I went onstage because I wanted Miles to be aware of these things."

Roach was referring to accusations by African nationalists that the Foundation was in league with South African diamond interests who sought to enslave Africans instead of helping them.

I’m glad I chased down the mystery, it and the whole obit make for a good read.

“No Blues” has a nice showcase of Paul Chamber’s playing toward the end. Makes up somewhat for the previous albums where he’s inaudible. I always enjoy a bass solo. “I Thought About You” is sweet.

My patience with Gil Evan’s arrangements wore out on the last piece “En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor”. Too bad the last 17 minutes was consumed by this. It wasn’t horrible. Just not my cup of tea.

Summary: Even with one listen, I approve of this album. Some great performances, albeit in mono and some poor quality. Nonetheless, excitement crackles throughout. There is a dynamic range of material and some nice takes on just about every piece. Like I said, if only this had been recorded well, this would be a monster of a live album. Of the three so far, (Friday, Saturday and Carnegie) I want to listen to this one again. I had to struggle with myself to cue up the other two.


Next up: Quiet Nights

Dogfish Head - Miles Davis *****es Brew
(Awe Come on it's the freakin title of a Rave Rec!)

I can't even put a link to the product in here.

Very tasty brew indeed.

http://www.dogfish.com/files/imageca...iles_davis.png

I'm a fan of their IPAs. Haven't off-roaded through their selection too much. Liked their Punkin Ale and the Raison D'Etre. I'll have to look for this one. :-)

clicky the image for the web page.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by noddin0ff

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I'm a fan of their IPAs. Haven't off-roaded through their selection too much. Liked their Punkin Ale and the Raison D'Etre. I'll have to look for this one. :-)

clicky the image for the web page.

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Not sure how ya did it but the link does not work due to the ****

Anyway, they make lots of interesting brews.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hyfi

Not sure how ya did it but the link does not work due to the ****

Anyway, they make lots of interesting brews.

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hmmm. right you are. Well, changed it to the list of brew page. Can locate by scrolling.

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits...rews/index.htm

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Song No.2
Once Upon A Summertime
Aos Pez Da Cruz
Song No.1
Wait Till You See Her
Corcovado
Summer Night
The Time Of The Barracudas*
Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)*
Devil May Care*

Line up
Miles (trumpet) and a bunch of people

Another trek back into Gil Evans land. This time Gil relocated to South America. Skimming highlights from the booklet, note that in 1962 Stan Getz opened up the bossa nova sound with Desafinado and thus, “the time was ripe to take advantage of Gil Evan’s pre-existing interest in South America.” I get the impression from the notes that this album was somewhat of a partial effort at an album that spanned several disparate sessions and came together due to Teo Macero’s editing. This release has 3 additional tracks recorded during the same period. One for a Christmas album (guess which) that never came to be. One of my favorite Christmas songs, actually. Minus the bonus tracks the album only runs about 26 minutes.

The album, despite my general distaste for Gil’s arrangements, doesn’t suck like I expected it to. There are even several tracks that I enjoy. I am a sucker for the bossa sway and I think the attempt at capturing the gentleness does much to dampen down the abrasiveness of Gil. Also, as compared to SkofSp, Miles sounds more unconstrained. I think the songs also play more to Miles gifts in the softer and muted ranges. If you like Gil Evans then you’ll probably not like the careless editing. If you are fine with sporadic snippets of good stuff sprinkled about. Then you’ll be fine with this album. However, this is far far from a great album. A curio for the completist maybe.

Track 1: Song No 2 – It’s still a Gil Evans orchestral introduction, but it’s not jarring, brash or awful. Doesn’t do much for me, but at 1:40 at least its over and done with quickly.

Track 2: Once Upon a Summertime – Again not quite my cup of tea, but I will highlight some wonderfully mournful playing by Miles. The guy can play the trumpet. I kind of wish the whole track was simply a solo. I think hearing dead air between Mile’s phrases would speak more to the intent of the arrangement than cluttering it with orchestral noodling. Completely ruining what ever spell this track hopes to cast is the abrupt splice at 1:58. I mean, “Come on! Did someone fall asleep in the engineering booth?”. What was Teo thinking… also a splice at 0:51…There is some nice guitar fill in if you take the time to listen for it.

Track 3: Aos Pez Da Cruz is a pleasant little ditty. Not much going on but easy on the ears, Gil’s chords not withstanding.

Track 4: Song No. 1 – Why Gil, why? Song saved by percussion and Miles leading. The track nearly becomes a worthy thing about a minute before it ends, then shrinks.

Track 5: Wait Till You See Her – Bossa with pensive noodling.

Track 6: Corvcovado – I’m too influenced by the Getz/Gilberto (every one should have this album) to even start to like this over complicated Gil version. Miles and the percussion seem to get it. They put a little more propulsive emphasis on it that Getz/Gilberto which is interesting.

Track 6: Summer Night – Interestingly this was a filler track by the quartet of Miles, Victor Feldman (p), Ron Carter (b), and Frank Butler (d). Recorded earlier that year with not Gil. And yes, it’s nice. Out of place in this album, sure; it’s not particularly bossa or latin sounding. It does sooth some of the wounds that the previous tracks may have imparted.

Track 7: Time of the Barracuda – Suddenly the album gets interesting here. Within the first 30 seconds your already expecting something much better than anything prior on the album. Tony Williams (d) is amazing in general and really pulls this piece together. His hands are everywhere, complementing everyone else. Ron Carter (b) gives it a foundation. Miles and Herbie Hancock push the edges. Apparently still a Gil Evans arrangement according to the credits. Around the 5:20 mark there an abrupt-ish halt and a redirect in the arrangement. Can’t say I enjoyed it. Then another shift ~7:00 to something more bluesy and almost comical. I did kind of enjoy this. You can hear some talking in the background, I assume people were kind of just vamping around.

Track 8: Blue Xmas – Fan of this one. Bob Dorough (p, voc.), Wayne Shorter (ts), Paul Chambers (b), Jimmy Cobb (d), Frank Rehak (tb), Willie Bobo (bongo).

Track 9: Devil May Care – another out of place track. A bit hard to appreciate in this context. Not a bad track though. It’s got bongos.


Next up: Seven Steps to Heaven

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Basin Street Blues
Seven Steps To Heaven
I Fall In Love Too Easily
So Near, So Far
Baby Won't You Please Come Home
Joshua
So Near, So Far*
Summer Night*

Line up:
Line up 1: Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 : Miles (trumpet), George Colman (7 only, tenor), Victor Feldman (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Frank Butler (drums).

Line up 2: Tracks 2, 4, 6: Miles (trumpet), George Colman (tenor), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).


I like the opening of the first track, Basin Street Blues, it pokes coyly at the swinging riff of this classic. Then wanders off about a minute in. That about sums up my take on the whole album. I liked it, but my mind wandered away while listening. It’s a well played, lovely bit of work throughout, but nothing really grabbed my attention. Dare I say it just had no character, no defining quality that stood out in my mind? I feel bad trying to get back to my Miles project with nothing to say. I actually had listened to this album many times just after I finished my last review. Then, as now, I there wasn’t much I felt like saying about this one.

The liner notes point out that there are basically two different line ups on this album. I listed them above. I even went so far as to listen to the tracks sorted by line up to see if it was the comingling in the context of the album that maybe kept me from getting into a listening groove. Partially, it was. I was very surprised that neither line up really carried the day. I especially thought that hands at the keyboard would sway me… That’s not quite right… I really thought drums would sway me as I almost always find that, when I pay attention, Tony Williams is behind tracks that really come together. I’m rather ignorant about percussion in general, but I’m always amazed that I can often identify Tony Williams. But keyboards should’ve been a discriminator as well. Someone more cerebral about jazz would likely instantly know who was playing each track. Blindfolded and deprived of foreknowledge, I don't know that I could tell for most tracks on this album.

In the end, there were style differences. If you separate tracks out by line up you have two different albums (except for the bonus track). Line up #1 has heart and emotion. Line up #2 has motion and progression. But neither added up to a slam dunk of one line up over the other. The reviews I read all say this album represents transitions in Miles’ directions and line ups. I don’t think that explains this album. It certainly occurs at a transition time, but I don’t think any of the tracks really sound transitional. The exception is the bonus track #7, So Near, So Far, is where line up #1 plays more like line up #2. Maybe this marks where Miles wanted to go a direction and found line up #1 lacking. Overall though, you’ve got tracks on either side of a transition alternating on an album. To me that’s just muddle; it left me with a unsatisfied listening experience. Every individual track is good. The album is not so hot. For anyone who is reading, I switched to flac for posts.

I took notice on the track Joshua. Real promising opening, strong and propulsive. My thought was that Coltrane would've really killed on this. Once I thought that, then I got disappointed that it wasn't Coltrane and couldn't give it a fair listen.

Next up: In Europe (Live at theAntibes Jazz Festival)

I just wanna say thanks for doing this. Damn, that's a lot of Miles to listen to. I'm definitely a fan, but his body or work is so vast I know I have only scratched the surface. These comments give me a great resource for picking out things for further exploration.

Alot of Miles output was indeed blahzay and geared to make money by exploiting his fame.

Here's one I have been enjoying over the last few months. I bought this set for only $100!! An excellent price for an out of print, limited set of possibly the best live jazz performance ever recorded.

http://i1.ambrybox.com/241210/1293222621755.jpeg

Thanks, nobody. I'm glad it's helpful even if only a little. As I mentioned I felt this was the best way to get myself to really listen to this monster of a box set. Now that I'm about 1/3 of the way, I'm certain I made the right decision. I don't think it will turn me into any jazz expert, but it does deepen my appreciation, bit by bit; especially, as I try to listen until I have my own thoughts on the albums and try not to just parrot what has been written many times before. It's certainly an interesting journey for me to do this chronologically. I hope the site is still here before I get to the end!

And thanks also, poppa. I found an NPR audio review of the Plugged Nickel set here. It certainly peaks my interests. The review highlights some interesting moments and certainly calls out the importance of the set. I'll keep my eyes out for it. Certainly it emphasizes that even the Complete Columbia don't capture Miles' output adequately. amazing. It looks like the next 5 albums in my series are all live concerts through 1965. I'll see if I can listen for the context to appreciate it as I proceed along.

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-A- -B-

Introduction by Andre Francis
Autumn Leaves
Milestones
I Thought About You
Joshua
All Of You
Walkin'

Line up:[i]
Line up: Miles (trumpet), George Colman (tenor), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).

It certainly has been a while since #18. Since then I have listened to no other Miles Davis album but for this one. Jazz fell off my radar for a long while due to lack of interest. I’ve had brief binges where I’ve cued this one up and listened to it a few times over a week and then put it away again. Each time, I’ve failed to find something to say about it. But, I’ve been recently hitting my jazz collection and even moving my dial from local NPR news talk radio to local NPR Jazz (WICN). WICN doesn’t always play what I want to hear, but I have to say they are about the most earnest and informative jazz station I’ve ever listened to. I really need to support them more.

So. In the interest of advancing to #20. Here’s my comment on In Europe. If I were there in 1963 I would have been blown away. It’s a terrific line up and the selections are great. However, I still can’t find something in it to make me want to call it great. Is it possible to put great musicians, great performance, great set *(albeit non-surprising) together and still not achieve magic? Maybe it’s the recording? I can’t figure out why this doesn’t excite me more. Going from I Though About You to Joshua is probably the highpoint of the album for me.

This is the first recorded performance of the group with Tony Williams (age 17 !!) on drums. Tony’s great. Really amazing. Everyone is great. Technically, probably amazing. It’s a solid performance. I'm giving it 3 noddin's but feel like it should be 4.

2 part links on mediafire, you’ll need them both

Next up: My Funny Valentine – Miles Davis in Concert (1964)

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My Funny Valentine
All Of You
Stella By Starlight
All Blues
I Thought About You


Line up:[i]
Line up: Miles (trumpet), George Colman (tenor), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).

Same Line up at #19, recorded about 7 months later in the Lincoln Center as a benefit concert for voter registration in Mississippi and Louisiana and sponsored by the NAACP Defense Fund, The Congress for Racial Equality, and the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee. According to the booklet:

“Just before going on stage, Miles informed his companions that the quintet’s purse would go to the three civil rights organizations supporting voter registration of Blacks in the the South. The musicians contested this charitable gesture forced upon them. Miles, who liked to provoke his collaborators, never doubted that the concert’s intensity originated in the musicians’ negative feelings.”

I’d recommend this album. Well recorded, well played. Good set of standards and a full 60 minutes of long tracks. As per usual, I listened to it casually probably a dozen or more times, but it really took a dedicated close listen to really appreciate it. I’ll attribute this to a generally more subdued and understated tone that was, however, well executed.

To me, My Funny Valentine is an odd jazz standard but one I always find myself absorbed in when I hear it. Searching. Moody. Full of longing. Shot through with awkward tenderness. This is a nice recording. For this track and the concert I think Herbie on piano brings the magic to the show. It’s quite possible I’m getting tired of Miles, but I didn’t find him terribly engaging on the opening track. Certainly he was good; just wasn’t emotive enough.
However, the rest of the band was solid. Herbie, Ron Carter and George Colman give the album plenty of soul. Tony Williams is a phenomenon but working behind the scenes here.
All of You is OK. It takes up quite a chunk of the album and might be the weakest of the set.
Stella By Starlight is a winner; possibly the one track where Miles shines appropriately, especially his soaring intro phrases in the first couple minutes. Nice and emotional before easing back off into a swing and letting the band take it. Tony and Herbie keep the rhythms interesting in the background. George has a nice solo, followed by HH etc.
A good up tempo All Blues, another standard that I never tire of. Some fire-y licks throughout.
The closer, I Thought About You is a tender one.

256vbr

Next up: 'Four' & More – Recorded Live in Concert (1966)

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So What
Walkin'
Joshua
Go-Go (Theme And Announcement)
Four
Seven Steps To Heaven
There Is No Greater Love
Go-Go (Theme And Announcement)


Line up:
Line up: Miles (trumpet), George Colman (tenor), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).

I started spinning this one and my first thought was, “Wow, this is a sharp departure from that previous concert release (My Funny Valentine).” The band is uptempo, they really seem to be challenging each other, everyone sounds on their toes. For example, the moody So What from Kind of Blue gets a blistering treatment to start the album. Then I looked at the notes and saw that, huh… this release is from the exact same concert—recorded live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC on Feb. 12, 1964…benefit for voter registration… a completely different album? What’s the heck?

Columbia released 60 minutes of ballads from the set in 1965 and then released the uptempo stuff here a year later.

Still, This disk is a ‘must have’ album in my book.
I can’t help but think that the 2 hour concert would be fantastic to hear in the order is was played. I did a little Googling and found that it’s actually pretty hard to get the whole concert. From this nice blog about this concert (worth the read as it really puts context on these albums. For the record, all the quoted texts below are from this blog - LINK> Miles Davis Quintet - The Complete Concert, 1964

“CBS did not do very well in the way they released this music. Neither “My Funny Valentine” and “Four and More” nor “The Complete Concert, 1964” (which bundles “My Funny Valentine” and “Four and More”) allows the listener to hear the whole concert. At some point, perhaps desperate for album releases from Miles Davis at a time when he was reluctant to comply, Columbia extracted for release as “My Funny Valentine” most of the ballad material from the concert. The more up tempo material was extracted and released as “Four and More”. Along the way the version of “Autumn Leaves” was not released. (Perhaps this was in response to the release of versions of this song in the earlier live recordings of the quintet). So “The Complete Concert, 1964” could rightly be called the ” Almost Complete Concert”. Indeed the only way of hearing the entire concert is to invest in the seven CD box set “Seven Steps: Complete Columbia Recordings 1963-1964” (released on Columbia Legacy) and to listen to discs 4 and 5.” link

The blog is worth the read as it really puts context on these albums. For the record, all the quoted texts come from it - Miles Davis Quintet - The Complete Concert, 1964


The Complete Concert, 1964 lists the track order as:
Part 1: Introduction [Mort Fega], [Autumn Leaves], So What, Stella by Starlight, Walkin', All of You, The Theme;
Part 2: Introduction [Billy Taylor], All Blues, My Funny Valentine, Joshua, I Thought About You, Four, Seven Steps to Heaven, There is No Greater Love, The Theme

I may just have to make my own virtual ‘almost’ complete concert. It’s still a shame to leave off Autumn Leaves though.

From the my previous post you’ll recall that Miles agreed to play for free and didn’t consult the band…
As Miles recalled: “When we came out to play, everybody was madder than a motherxxxxxx with each other and so I think that anger created a fire, a tension that got into everybody’s playing, and maybe that’s one of the reasons everybody played with such intensity.” link

The result…
Miles Davis: “We just blew the top off that place that night. It was a motherxxxxxx the way everybody played – and I mean everybody…… George Coleman played better that night than I have ever heard him play…….” link

Like I say ‘must have’. Actually the ‘almost’ complete would be the real must have. But this is really good.

About 15 years ago I came to the realization that I was a Tony Williams fanboy and didn’t know it. I never really paid much attention to drums and rhythm. I certainly didn’t have a foundation for appreciation. Then, if I remember right, I was seated close to Brian Blades at Yoshi’s in Oakland and had a holy-sh*t-that’s-what-an-amazing-drummer-does revelation. From there it wasn’t long before I discovered that a lot of the Davis and Hancock jazz that grips me has Tony Williams sparkling away. Tony sounds like some omniscient octopus floating gems of rhythm in all directions at once. Master of the ride cymbal. And, here in this concert is Tony Williams in his TEENS.

“The new driving force of the quintet was the discovery of drummer Tony Wiliams: “He just lit a big fire under everyone in the group….. I was beginning to realize that Tony and this group could play anything they wanted to. Tony was always the centre that the group’s sound revolved around. He was something else, man…..Tony played to the sound, and he played real hip, slick **** to the sounds he heard. He changed the way we played every night and played different tempos for every sound every night. Man, to play with Tony Williams you had to be real alert and pay attention to everything he did or he’d lose you in a second…… All of this from a seventeen-year–old who nobody had heard of before the beginning of the year… nobody ever played with me as Tony did. I mean it was scary, but then Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock and George Coleman weren’t no slouches either, so I knew we had a good thing going.” link

On toes describes this album.

256vbr

Next up is another live one recorded the same year 1964 but released in 1969.

Next up: Miles in Tokyo (1969)

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Introduction by Teruo Isono
If I Were a Bell
My Funny Valentine
So What
Walkin’
All of You
Go-Go (The Theme)

Line up:
Line up: Miles (trumpet), Sam Rivers (tenor), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).

I need to move on. I stalled out on this album way back. I’ve listened to it on and off. Various bits written about this album highlight the replacement of George Colman on tenor with Sam Rivers as an effort by Miles to up the risk taking in the band. For the followers of line ups, we’re currently one member away from the ‘second great quintet’ that will come into being with Wayne Shorter on tenor. Apparently, Coltrane had recommended Shorter to Miles but when Colman left Shorter wasn’t available. According to my booklet:

The young rhythm section of the quintet dreamed of a saxophonist more avid to join them in their audacity, and Tony William recommended Eric Dolphy. Miles found the playing of this young avant-garde musician careless and lacking in elegance. He let himself be persuaded to hire Sam Rivers whose musical tastes were still ambiguous; although he was three years older than Miles, Rivers still had the body of his work ahead of him. Rivers had grown up with bop, but showed an inclination for free jazz, which he never abandoned. In his company, Miles visited Japan for the first time and showed a special respect for Japanese audience, for whom he temporarily gave up his habit of leaving the stage during other musicians’ solos. Some even saw in this deference, an explanation for the moderation of the quintet’s risk-taking. The remarks that Sam Rivers made on the bebop nature of the group—although he himself seemed relatively conventional—corroborated the hypothesis of a lack of understanding between two avant-gardes, each indifferent to the other and each with a different perspective. Their confrontation, however, remains no less gripping.

To make a long story short. This is marked as a transitional line up and, despite the suggestion of shaking things up, this album doesn’t come across as much of a departure to me. I kept trying to hear some of this departure and couldn’t find it. It’s a good recording and a decent date. Fine versions of My Funny Valentine and So What and a solid performance overall.


I’m giving one more listen while browsing comments on the web. A few point to Rivers entry on If I Were a Bell as being a bit more avant-garde than the band was expecting. With that in mind I can hear how he frees the phrasing up to a point where the band sort of stalls out…almost. His phrasing, in retrospect does contrast with Miles’ more straight up intro. Actually, Rivers solo midway on So What starts out mostly conventional but then does shred and howl (starts at 3min, but then rips starting 3:45). The bands seems a little shell-shocked while trying to recover at 4:30, poor Herbie isn't sure where to go after that brief fire storm. I don't know how I missed this before. This leads me to concede that I’m not a scholar of Miles, and if I were I’d hear a lot more than I do.

So, comments along the lines of how Rivers ‘nudged’ the band in a future direction are probably spot on. If you listen hard you can hear the nudge. Casually, it’s easy to miss.

256vbr

Next up is another live one recorded two months later, the same year 1964, but released in 1965 (four years earlier) than in Tokyo.

Next up: Miles in Berlin (1965)