Miles Davis: Merci Miles! Live at Vienne (Rhino)
So many ways to say “thank you.” Especially to someone like Miles Davis, who moved the earth to suit his vision for music over and … Read More “Miles Davis: Merci Miles! Live at Vienne (Rhino)”
Reviews
Miles Davis Quintet: The Legendary Prestige Quintet Recordings (Craft)
Miles Davis got his first record deal in 1950, soon after he and Art Blakey got picked up at LAX airport for heroin possession charges. … Read More “Miles Davis Quintet: The Legendary Prestige Quintet Recordings (Craft)”
Liebman/Coffin/Wooten/Thompson/Walters/DaSilva: On the Corner Live! The Music of Miles Davis (Ear Up)
Of the many debate-prompting releases from Miles Davis’ shape-shifting career, On the Corner (1972) may top the list. The trumpeter admitted the music was influenced by funk artists like James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone, the result being an album rooted more in rhythm than electric studio predecessors like Bitches Brew or Jack … Read More “Liebman/Coffin/Wooten/Thompson/Walters/DaSilva: On the Corner Live! The Music of Miles Davis (Ear Up)”
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Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy)
Jazz is a music of ensembles working toward a shared common goal through improvisatory avenues, but it is most special when focused on partnerships. Bird and Diz. Lady Day and Prez. Dolphy and Little. Ella and Satch. Near the top of any such pyramid belongs Miles Davis and John Coltrane, with this four-disc set bearing … Read More “Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy)”
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Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5
Miles Davis’ haunting rasp “Teo … play that … Teo … Teo … Teo … Teo … play that,” closing “Gingerbread Boy” on your worn-out vinyl copies of Miles Smiles, was only the tip of the iceberg. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of that second studio album from the Second Great Miles Quintet, Sony/Columbia/Legacy has … Read More “Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5”
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Blu-ray Review: Miles Ahead
Extras include insight-filled featurettes
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Miles Davis/Various Artists: Miles Ahead: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Enjoyable as it is, the soundtrack album for Don Cheadle’s quasi-biopic Miles Ahead prompts a query common to such releases: For whom, other than completists, is this intended? Not your typical fan, as there are no previously unheard Miles items and some selections are edited (which a few sensitive souls may not be able to … Read More “Miles Davis/Various Artists: Miles Ahead: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”
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Miles Ahead Reviewed: Miles Misguided
A bizarre action-movie narrative derails Don Cheadle’s long-anticipated jazz flick
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Miles Davis: Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4
Even the most special, consistent performers can have venues where they grab a kind of inspired toehold and secure that next level. For an athlete like Michael Jordan, that venue was Madison Square Garden; for an equally dynamic jazz artist like Miles Davis, we’re talking the Newport Jazz Festival. The metrics of this box are … Read More “Miles Davis: Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4”
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Red Garland Trio: Swingin’ on the Korner: Live at Keystone Korner
When discussing jazz’s great pianists, Red Garland usually gets mentioned late in the conversation, if at all. Despite his centrality to the first great Miles Davis quintet, his work with John Coltrane and his successful run as a trio leader, Garland’s star has dimmed considerably since his death in 1984. Swingin’ on the Korner, a … Read More “Red Garland Trio: Swingin’ on the Korner: Live at Keystone Korner”
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