I look at those last two Davis chapters (1969-1975 and 1981-91) to understand how I have felt about my favorite musician, even as he ran out ahead of (or away from) my ears.
Good point about the melody transferring to the bass register as early as "So What".
I've never gotten into Miles's final period, but I've come to see his 1969-1975 work (actually I'd date it from 1968) as his creative peak, and one of the most fertile half-decades of any 20th century musician. (Currently writing a series of articles about it, in fact.)
I agree - 1968 is a fair start. But the movement in those quintet records is partial, so I started with IN A SILENT WAY. I find it amazing that Miles made the shift not just to funk rhythms and rock elements but to so much atonality. The “fusion”‘that he so famously inspired is soooo tonal (almost to a fault, with the exception of the very Weather Report albums). But when Miles plunged into the groove, he plunged in more than one way.
[Forgive me for blowing my own trumpet, as it were; I've just started posting here and you seem like exactly the kind of person who might be interested in checking out my publication.]
Alex – I love your analysis of those tunes from that 1981 release. I really think that you’re the winner of the 68 versus 69 argument here. There’s no doubt that Miles was stepping forward around then, even if it didn’t quite come together on a full-length LP until the next one out. That Zawinul tune has got a relatively traditional head that just moves into the section with the repeated bass/keyboard line. If you just took out that head, which sounds sort of mid 60s Ish, you would basically have in a silent way.
Great essay, Will. Appreciate how you grappled candidly with your still-evolving feelings on the music. And your comments on the 80s material are helpful as I’m still in the process of orienting myself re: that work. How do you feel abt Aura btw? That’s become a sleeper fave for me
Thanks, man. I actually love AURA. I didn’t write about her because it is sort of an outlier and was hard to relate to my mini-thesis (about the 89s stuff kind of sounding like current LA jazz). But I am a legit fan.
As a teenager (in the late 80's), I dug Miles' electric period and listened to albums like "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew" incessantly. These days, I don't really enjoy them, which is definitely a ME problem. But I often wonder how insanely exhilarating and transcendent it must've been to hear that music and those bands live. When I get my hands on a time machine...
Seth, I saw Miles in the ‘80s four times - at the Avery Fisher Hall “comeback concert” detailed here but also twice in DC and once in Chicago, outdoors. It always felt a little off. Maybe (uh, surely) I was longing for those 60s and even 70s bands. But THAT SOUND on the horn was always worth hearing.
Good point about the melody transferring to the bass register as early as "So What".
I've never gotten into Miles's final period, but I've come to see his 1969-1975 work (actually I'd date it from 1968) as his creative peak, and one of the most fertile half-decades of any 20th century musician. (Currently writing a series of articles about it, in fact.)
I agree - 1968 is a fair start. But the movement in those quintet records is partial, so I started with IN A SILENT WAY. I find it amazing that Miles made the shift not just to funk rhythms and rock elements but to so much atonality. The “fusion”‘that he so famously inspired is soooo tonal (almost to a fault, with the exception of the very Weather Report albums). But when Miles plunged into the groove, he plunged in more than one way.
My rationale for dating his electric period from 1968 is laid out in some detail here:
https://alexrothmusic.substack.com/p/electric-miles-part-2?r=4zjsh
[Forgive me for blowing my own trumpet, as it were; I've just started posting here and you seem like exactly the kind of person who might be interested in checking out my publication.]
Alex – I love your analysis of those tunes from that 1981 release. I really think that you’re the winner of the 68 versus 69 argument here. There’s no doubt that Miles was stepping forward around then, even if it didn’t quite come together on a full-length LP until the next one out. That Zawinul tune has got a relatively traditional head that just moves into the section with the repeated bass/keyboard line. If you just took out that head, which sounds sort of mid 60s Ish, you would basically have in a silent way.
Thanks! Totally agree re: "Directions"—the similarity between Miles's solos on both takes of that and "In a Silent Way" is remarkable.
Great essay, Will. Appreciate how you grappled candidly with your still-evolving feelings on the music. And your comments on the 80s material are helpful as I’m still in the process of orienting myself re: that work. How do you feel abt Aura btw? That’s become a sleeper fave for me
Thanks, man. I actually love AURA. I didn’t write about her because it is sort of an outlier and was hard to relate to my mini-thesis (about the 89s stuff kind of sounding like current LA jazz). But I am a legit fan.
As a teenager (in the late 80's), I dug Miles' electric period and listened to albums like "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew" incessantly. These days, I don't really enjoy them, which is definitely a ME problem. But I often wonder how insanely exhilarating and transcendent it must've been to hear that music and those bands live. When I get my hands on a time machine...
Seth, I saw Miles in the ‘80s four times - at the Avery Fisher Hall “comeback concert” detailed here but also twice in DC and once in Chicago, outdoors. It always felt a little off. Maybe (uh, surely) I was longing for those 60s and even 70s bands. But THAT SOUND on the horn was always worth hearing.