Miles would have celebrated his 90th birthday today. His influence continues to resonate. http://polygraph.cool/miles/
Miles would have celebrated his 90th birthday today. His influence continues to resonate. http://polygraph.cool/miles/
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One of the all time greats, no doubt. Not sure about some of his later-career creative decisions, but his first 25 years were so great that he could have turned into Kenny G and it would still be forgiven.
Didn't he? I adore almost all of his pre-70s output (including Live Evil and a few later recordings), but, speaking strictly of their music merits, none of his post-retirement work interests me in the least (cue the links to articles defending his last few phases, but I'm not interested in going down that road again).Originally Posted by Facelift
Has anyone that recent movie about Miles? Any good? I wonder that film will color his legacy more than his fans might expect? With the general populace, anyway.
Legacy? I thought he was a Lamborghini guy, not Subaru.
There's not a whole lot of 80s stuff that I like much, but Siesta and Aura, largely the work of Miller and Mikkelborg, are great. (Though the latter just screams for some drum overdubs)
Didn't he? I adore almost all of his pre-70s output (including Live Evil and a few later recordings), but, speaking strictly of their musical merits, none of his post-retirement work interests me in the least (cue the links to articles defending his last few phases, but I'm not interested in going down that road again).
Has anyone seen that recent movie about Miles? Any good? I wonder that film will color his legacy more than his fans might expect? With the general populace, anyway.
I haven't [seen] that movie yet, but IMO the new music from the trailer that I saw for the "soundtrack album" was a big turnoff.
Ahhh, that's scary. Hadn't heard a word about that film either way yet. I see I managed to post twice. Cool!
My absolutely favourite album by him is On The Corner
Deja vu man.
Yeah, Miles was restless. He was always changing, always pushing into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. You have to admire someone who had so much success yet still never rested on his laurels, never repeated himself, never settled into a particular style to make a comfortable living at it.
Because some of his later experiments didn't 'work' for many of us, I still can't fault him for trying. If Hendrix hadn't died, if McLaughlin had consented to tour with him and stay in the band instead of running off to form Mahavishnu Orchestra, who knows what might've happened. The ultimate 'what if.'
Agree completely.
I love everything up to Jack Johnson and found most of the stuff after that not as good, but he always seemed to try new ideas even if they didn't always pan out, which I find commendable.
"I've changed music four or five times. What have you done of any importance other than be white?"
My favorite Miles quote.
The interesting thing about his 80s output is that you had a couple of guitarIsts - John Scofield and Robben Ford --- that are as good as any musicians you can find today.
Yeah. The live stuff he did with those two is my favorite period. Hope to someday purchase the DVD set, Miles! Live at Montreux: The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux Collection, 1973-1991. I only saw Miles once in 1985? with Sco in the band, but would have loved to seen him with Robben. Mike Stern was also a great accompanimist. Stern's guitar solo on Fat Time from "Man With The Horn" is killer. One of my all time favorites on that instrument.
Interesting choice. I listened to it recently, after a long time, and found it fairly tepid.
Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes
It was kinda atonal and formless. What did you like about it?
I thought the best stuff was left off the album only to show up in the box a few decades later.
To me it's just the sheer power of it. It never fails to raise my blood pressure a bit. Also, enjoy his phrasing and the way he combines Rock and Bebop. I'm not a musician and have never really studied music so I cannot put my thoughts in those terms very well. It just one of those solos that fires me up every time.
His musical evolution over the years was quite remarkable. I've warmed up to a lot of his '80s music--Star People and We Want Miles are both great slices of fusion.
He basically did, with his remake of "Time After Time."
Personnel:
Miles Davis (trumpet)
Dave Liebman (saxophone)
Reginald Lucas (guitar),
Michael Henderson (bass)
Peter Cosey (guitar)
Al Foster (drums)
Mtume (percussion)
Miles died 25 years ago and he's still making converts, even zealots. I got my first Miles album in 2012 and I'm hooked. I now have over 50 cd's from him. His period 1968-1975 still shines amazingly. I just can't get enough.
...got knocked in the jaw w/ that one Mogrooves, so I had to see if OTC was one that didn't hold up. Glad to find that it still seems like about the most narcotic shit this side of Sextant. Of course ymmv and there's Noah counting for taste.
I suppose I can understand why someone wouldn't like On the Corner, but I'm baffled that anyone would find it tepid. If any electrified album sounds relatively tame or sleepy now, to me it's B-Brew.
From what I've read, it seems like basically a buddy movie (with a dash of action) that just happens to have a fictionalized version of Miles as the main character. Haven't seen it, but I got to hear the soundtrack and it's just as Dave suspected. The compilation of Davis tracks is hopelessly incoherent (as any comp basically has to be) and the new music made for the film is pretty weak sauce.
Definitely disagree. "Smooth" production trappings or not, just listen to the way he plays any note and you should be able to hear the difference.
I'd agree with you 100%...except I'd make that 1965-1975, as his second great quintet with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter & Tony Williams is still my overall favourite lineup. Those albums beginning with E.S.P. and Miles Smiles right through Agharta and Pangaea are almost uniformly strong.
And for those who, at the time, accused Miles of selling out with Bitches Brew and On the Corner, I'd have to ask this question: sell out to whom? Neither of those records is or was easy to digest commercially-oriented jazz. Yes, Miles did want to reach younger people....but On the Corner has to be one of the densest, most oblique jazz albums of the time.
And I love it!
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