Jazz has always been somewhat on the fringe of my musical interests so quite a lot was new to me. Well worth watching. To finish off the day I'm just playing In a Silent Way/Shhh Peaceful which I got as an LP while a student 50 years ago.
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An engrossing film with some wonderful footage and intelligent commentary from musicians and friends.
Hopefully, it will attract more people to Miles' music.
JRComment
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This even "trended" on Twitter last night! With universal praise.Comment
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I am sure that there was a two-part documentary about 15 years ago which covered similar territory and which also had the advantage that there were more former musical colleagues around to interview. I really enjoyed the programme last night even if it did not really offer any new insights in to someone who is already way too over represented in books and TV programmes. Some of the statements from the interviewees did not reveal anything whereas the most interesting comments came from Herbie Hancock but were not developed. In fact, some of the comments made by the likes of Carlos Santana were rather pointless. All in all, the documentary was maybe symptomatic of our times with the interviews often edited out just to provide soundbites. It just seemed to underline the fact that his best work was in the 50s and 60s and reinforce my impression that the second quintet was woefully unrecorded. Like a lot of jazz recorded between 1925 and 1970, the music moved so fast that a lot of concepts in the music did not get the time to be fully explored. Part of me wishes that this quintet had not morphed in to the jazz-rock mode and perhaps accepted a decline in popularity and become part of the loft scene. However, the programme did suggest at the importance of commercial success for Davis.
I wonder if I am alone in thinking that last night's documentary did not seem too sympathetic to Miles' post "Bitches Brew" work ? The two most telling comments in the documentary concerned Ron Carter's refusal to switch to an electric bass and his logic for ultimately leaving the quintet and the comment regarding the size of the cheque Davis received when he played a large jazz festival. Setting aside the wonderful "Birth of the cool" recordings, the documentary reinforced by perception that Miles' best work stretched from the recordings for Prestige through to "Filles de Kilamanjaro." Beyond this it is more of a lottery until the early seventies where his music had less and less relevance to jazz. The comment about Miles' frustration at losing his tone was interesting and, in the light of the comments made by Ron Carter, the lack in timbre and range of dynamics contrasts poorly with his earlier work .
The other bias in the documentary seemed to be a lack in interest in his 1980s work. Other than Marcus Miller, Mike Stern and his nephew, none of his other former sidemen were interviewed and the general tone of the documentary seemed to suggest a decline in his work. His painting seemed to get more attention! Looking back, although I bought a lot of his records at the time they were new, they have not aged at all well and compare unfavourably with his best work. From a point of view of being a jazz soloist, "The man with the horn" is probably the last album he made where his work is of interest as an improvisor. By the time he had produced "Tutu", he had become a pop artist.Comment
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yes , because most people using Twitter are probably of a generation not to realise what "good" sound likes.Originally posted by BLUESNIK'S REVOX View PostComment
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Really? Six studio albums and the Plugged Nickel recordings and Live in Europe 67... not bad considering they were together for what - four years?Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
I didn't notice that the doc was either in favour or against his post Bitches Brew work. The funny thing was that, after hearing Ron Carter refusal to switch to electric bass, the next footage was of Miles in France the following year with Dave Holland on... acoustic bass. Filles de Kilimanjaro didn't get a mention. Santana and others I think offered positive comments on the electric albums...Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
And you, as Jazz's spokesperson, can say this.Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
Yes, IIRC that was about his later 80s work.Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
Possibly, but I liked the footage of him with Stern and Miller at what I think was his come-back gig. Made me want to check out that music. Also made me think I'd like to check out his earlier stuff too, I mean either side of his work from 65-70 which is my favourite and which consequently I am most familiar with.Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View PostLast edited by Joseph K; 15-03-20, 08:50.Comment
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Well, I only glanced at a few of the comments and most seemed to have a pre awareness of Miles and to be admirers, at least of some period of his work. Maybe they were avoiding Robert Peston...Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
Interesting what was said about tone. I was watching a piece on the 69 "lost quintet" with Chick Corea. He was emphatic about Miles' absolute accuracy, power and purity of tone during that period. Miles as "an exceptional trumpet player" as well as any other considerations. I'm no fan of much of what came after, but watching that band with Corea made me look again at that initial "electrification".Comment
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Bluensik
There have been a series of "Bootleg" Miles albums which have captured these "lost quintets" and they tend to get great reviews. I have the European tour 1967 set which is incredible but, to be honest, I have so many Miles Davis records in my collection already I have not snapped up any others. The problem a lot of the live material from the 1960s is that the repertoire is largely his most familiar material and a lot of the newer compositions do not necessarily get an airing. There are alleged to be several recordings which have never come to light commercially but seeing that they are from the early 1960s at a time when he was not in a good position from a health and mental perspective, I wonder if the performances are a disappointment.
Like a lot of other jazz musicians, I am sure that there is still a lot out there in bootleg recordings that still has to see the light of day. I do get the impression that the live stuff is probably more interesting to what we being out down in the studio but only up to a point. The rockier stuff from the 1970s might be seen as a precursor to Rap, EDM, etc, etc but I do not necessarily see this as a good thing! After about 1970, I lose interest in Miles's music as there is so much out there that is of more interest - law of diminishing returns, etc.
On the subject of documentaries about jazz musicians, it would be nice if the Thomas Chapin documentary got an airing. This is supposed to be a really good film. It would be nice if the balance could be addressed away from the usual Miles / Coltrane / Chet focus so beloved of film makers and perhaps look at the wider spectrum of jazz. Roughly contemporary with Miles' final recordings, Chapin's music does not deserve to be neglected and certainly more on the money that Miles' relying on past credit by this time. Wondered if anyone else has seen this film, especially as Chapin's recordings are now so difficult to get hold of.Comment
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What I've found fascinating is the very long "archiving" interviews up on You tube with Art Taylor, Wilbur Ware and Philly Joe Jones etc, (OK, my chosen field), but you really get a realisation of the social environment and culture that period produced. Some real gems in there.Comment
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I can remember seeing a documentary film on TV back in the 1980s about Bix Beiderbecke. It was shown one afternoon when school had broken up for the Christmas holiday. I have never been able to find this film on YouTube although I believe it was produced Brigette Berman. From recollection, it was pretty unflinching and did not romanticise his chronic alcoholism but it seemed to emphasise the tragedy of this musician which made a lasting impression on my perception of his playing. I think it included interviews with former musical colleagues and am pretty sure one of these was the arranger Bill Challis. It was a fascinating film which , although he is probably a name who is meaningless for the likes of Joe, the "cool" approach epitomised by Miles had it's origins with Bix and Tram. I can only recollect a few things from the film which included the observation that the records he recorded which were sent back home to his family in Davenport remained unopened from their packages, his complex relationship with Paul Whiteman's orchestra and the story about him hallucinating about snakes climbing up the walls of his hotel room. I would love to see this film again.Comment
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Miles - "Paraphernalia" (Wayne), which I've been listening to even more intently after last night...http://youtu.be/2dpDH6a5DggComment
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Yeah I noticed they played a few tunes from Miles in the Sky more than once.Originally posted by BLUESNIK'S REVOX View PostComment
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I think that these recordings were cobbled together from a number of studio sessions and not released until well after they were recorded. It is a similar situation with the "Water babies" set as well.Originally posted by BLUESNIK'S REVOX View PostComment
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I sometimes think I could be happy if the only music to listen to was Miles and JS Bach.
I enjoyed the programme a lot, though inevitably a lot had to be missed out given the length of it - eg the jump between Bitches Brew and Tutu, and I was expecting there to be more about the role Teo Macero played in producing the albums.
I must take a listen to On The Corner.SteveComment
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