In Praise of Miles Davis...

[theclaud]

Sorry - have I trangressed a Cafe rule about opinions, however silly, being sacrosanct? I am reminded of the Emperor in Amadeus:

Emperor Joseph II: My dear young man, don't take it too hard. Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Just cut a few and it will be perfect.
Mozart: Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I tried a sample of "Kind of Blue" on Amazon because of this thread. Granted, you only get thirty seconds or so of each track, but it still sounds like lift music to me. Still, each to their own, and all that.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Sorry - have I trangressed a Cafe rule about opinions, however silly, being sacrosanct? I am reminded of the Emperor in Amadeus:

Emperor Joseph II: My dear young man, don't take it too hard. Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Just cut a few and it will be perfect.
Mozart: Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?

 

[Fab Foodie]

I tried a sample of "Kind of Blue" on Amazon because of this thread. Granted, you only get thirty seconds or so of each track, but it still sounds like lift music to me. Still, each to their own, and all that.

So would you say your personal jury is out on MD, RT?
Or are you swayed in your judgement by the fact he reckoned he changed 4 generations of American music and was nasty to some white woman?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

So would you say your personal jury is out on MD, RT?
Or are you swayed in your judgement by the fact he reckoned he changed 4 generations of American music and was nasty to some white woman?

It's just not my thing. Jazz for me is either all tinkly tinkly "nice" music or it's a group of musicians (who may well be very good) showing each other how great they are. Apart from trad jazz, which I rather like.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I tried a sample of "Kind of Blue" on Amazon because of this thread. Granted, you only get thirty seconds or so of each track, but it still sounds like lift music to me. Still, each to their own, and all that.

I've been listening to jazz for a few years but Kind Of Blue is one of those albums that it took me a while to work up to. It requires complete attention and a couple of listenings before it sinks in.

Far more accessible is my current fave rave Look Out! by Stanley Turrentine, which was his first album for the Blue Note label and can be had fairly cheaply. Lots of good tunes with a nice feel and ... er.... nothing at all to do with Miles Davis. Oops!

 

[galaxy1]

I've only got a couple of Mile's albums.Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew which are both good.Through them though I've got into the music of John McLaughlin,Chick Corea,John Scofield,Al di Meola, Paco De Lucia, Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller amongst others. I love Jazz Fusion

 

[Fab Foodie]

It's just not my thing. Jazz for me is either all tinkly tinkly "nice" music or it's a group of musicians (who may well be very good) showing each other how great they are. Apart from trad jazz, which I rather like.

Well your opinion's just fine with me!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Well your opinion's just fine with me!

...albeit entirely foolish and mistaken...

 

[Rhythm Thief]

...albeit entirely foolish and mistaken...

I thought someone would say that. It's just that it all sounds too bloody clever by half for me. Brain music. Give me something like this or this and I'm happy. I don't think I'm Miles Davis' target audience.

 

[theclaud]

I thought someone would say that.

And trust Monkey to beat me to it!

 

[NickM]

Trad Jazz? Noooooooooooooooooooo...!

And all that aimless bebop noodling? that, too!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Trad Jazz? Noooooooooooooooooooo...!

Depends ... Temperance Seven, yes; Glen Miller ... nooooo.

 

[mistral]

My introduction to MD was a Radio 3 feature on Miles in the Sky about 10 years ago. Before this I wasn’t really into jazz but this encouraged me to explore.
Yes, sometimes the electric music of MD is challenging, dense and seemingly impenetrable, but I’d suggest it’s well worth persevering with.
In 1967 Circle in the Round was recorded, just a few months after Coltrane died; the end of an era and maybe this was the catalyst for MD. On this track an electric guitar lurks deep in the mix; sparse, minimal, restrained and with the lightest of touches, although only just there, it adds enormously.
I’d recommend In a Silent Way for the masterful production/editing alone, also worth checking out is Bill Laswells reworking, using original master tapes from the MD electric period, not so much a remix more a reinterpretation.
Did I mention I’m a big fan.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Glenn Millar was swing though, wasn't he? And swing was just an anodyne offshoot, sort of MOR bastard son of jazz. A bit like Michael Jackson's relationship to people who make music worth listening to.