So, you’d think that an album inspired by the “electric” period of Miles Davis would include a lot of wacka-wooka plugged in sounds, right? Well, saxist, leader and arranger Charles Pillow throws a curveball here, bringing in a big band that includes Chuck Bergeron/b, Pete McCann/g, Jimmy Greene/sax, Clay Jenkins/tp, Tim Hagans/p among others, sounding more like Miles’ Gil Evans period than anything else, and that’s all right with me.
Oh, yes, there are some synthy sounds provided by Henry Hey, but they are mellow, muted along with the trumpets on a soulful “ Yaphet”. The hushed horns are subtle, as Greene gets funky with trombonist Mike Davis on a “Willie Nelson” that would sit comfortably in a Miles Ahead session. The woodwinds punch alongside the brass, with Michael Thomas’ tenor in an assertive contrast for “Rated X”, while the horns are elegiac on a fluffy “Great Expectations” surrounding Hagans’ mysterious tones. Pillow’s flute floats on a take of “Agharta” that sounds like something from vintage Joe Sample, as the electric keys simmer, where the dark organ on “Shhh/Peaceful” grooves with the “Shaft”-like high hat under Pillow’s sizzling soprano.
This album is a brilliant idea combining the best of Miles’ ideas over 2 decades into one formidable release. The old sounds brand new, which is always what Davis was all about.