I’ve come to the conclusion that, though we tend to put Miles Davis’ career into certain creative segments, (like the First Quintet, the Second Quintet, the Gil Evans period) and everything between those eras being considered a “transition” period, the fact is that Miles Davis’ WHOLE CAREER was a transition period! He just simply musically never stood still; the delineation of eras comes from when he was able to put a working band into the studio to literally “record” his team’s progress. Thus, we have this great 3 cd + dvd set of one of those “transitions.”
In 2011, we got the fantastic first volume of Miles Davis “Bootleg Series” which included Davis 1967 quintet with Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams. This time around, Sony Legacy has come up with a band that never made it into the studio, so all we’ve got are these live sessions that are a great illumination of Davis from between his E SP band and his In A Silent Way/Bitches Brew groups. Here, we’ve the team of Wayne Shorter/ts-ss, Chick Corea/p-ep, Dave Holland/b, and Jack DeJohnette/dr from a collection of shows from July and November 1969. Two gigs at the Festival Mondial du Jazz d’Antibes and one from Folkets Hus, Stockholm make up the cds, and one from the Berliner Jazztage fills up the dvd.
The collection of material, and its presentation by this (“third?”) great Davis Quintet is nothing less than (as Spock would say) “fascinating.” The band mixes its material between old, WAY old, and new without batting an eye as they seque from “Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down” to “Milestones” and then “Footprints,” covering fusion, bop and modal in a seamless weaving of sounds and rhythms. The furiously aggressive speed of the drums and bass makes it seem like Shorter and Davis are riding on top of an avalanche during their solos, but they are up for the snowboarding ride. Miles, with a tone that is fat and bursting out like The Incredible Hulk, is hauntingly lyrical on the all to brief “I Fall In Love Too Easily” from the Antibes second set, while just about everyone stetches out on the 13 minute “No Blues” before they lock into a smoking groove on “Nefertiti.” A nascent “Bitches Brew” highlights the “Stockholm Set,” with Chick being nimble, Chick being quick and Chick jumping all around DeJohnnette’s drumsticks on “Paraphernalia.”
During each of the four sets, the various songs each weave together seamlessly like some psychedelic Raphael tapestry. The fascinating part is the pacing that Davis has his band display, Miles almost times the music like a boxing match. He invariably opens the first round by coming out swinging hard and delivering right crosses and left hooks to the body. During the middle of the set, he back peddles through some fancy footwork and works the whole ring; by the 7th round he slowly he circles around his opponent before the last attack of incessant punches to the head. You can audibly detect the opponent feeling woozy and falling down for the count by “Sanctuary,” while Miles and company go to the corner and sit triumphantly during the count of the TKO of “The Theme.”
The color dvd from Berlin (did you HAVE to wear a vest to be allowed in the audience?) is a treat both visibly and audibly with fantastic sounds and sights. You can watch this a dozen times, and still wonder how these guys cued each other to move from “Directions” to “Bitches Brew” to “It’s About That Time” to “I Fall I Love” without giving any third base coach signals. They look so icily chilled and casual, but are breathing fire. This is a set to cherish-just when you thought you had all of Davis down!
Sony Legacy