let's continue: Miles in Tokyo — Miles Davis Like In Concert Recorded July 14, 1964 with Sam Rivers (tenor saxophone) Herbie Hancock (piano) Ron Carter (bass) Tony Williams (drums). A very special item in Miles' discography. Sam Rivers was recommended to Miles by his young drummer Tony Williams. I've heard rumours that Miles didn't really like Rivers' playing, but I couldn't find any source for that. On top of it, Wayne Shorter left the Jazz Messengers and was available as soon as Miles got back from Japan, so I guess Rivers days with the group were numbered. Personally, I dig this concert a lot and I think they are a great combination. “I'll never forget my arrival in Japan. Flying to Japan is a long-ass flight. So I brought coke and sleeping pills with me and I took both. Then I couldn't go to sleep and I was drinking, too. When we landed there were all these people to meet us at the airport. We're getting off the plane and they're saying, "Welcome to Japan, Miles Davis," and I threw up all over everything. But they didn't miss a beat. They got me some medicine and got me straight and treated me like a king. Man, I had a ball, and I have respected and loved the Japanese people ever since. Beautiful people. They have always treated me great. The concerts were a big success." — Miles Davis
And another one... You can actually see a photo of Miles getting off the plane with his wife Frances in Japan, superimposed on Miles' suit.
Another photo from the gatefold of the original Miles in Tokyo LP, presumably from one of the Japan concerts:
Wow! There's a lot of live recordings/releases from this period. I am planning to listen to all of the albums in this thread. I need to catch up with 4 & more/ My funny valentine before commenting on this one.
The big story here is that, for a brief time, Sam Rivers played with the Miles Davis Quintet. I really enjoy his contributions to this record and this band. I'm incredibly glad that he was replaced by Wayne Shorter, because I don't think it gets better than what the Second Great Quintet did in the history of modern jazz, and Shorter provided so many compositions. But it's interesting to speculate where this band would have gone with Rivers on tenor sax rather than Shorter. I think the change, from Rivers to Shorter, demonstrates that Miles was comfortable approaching the outside, but never did fully embrace it. I recall reading that, before Rivers, Tony Williams suggested Eric Dolphy, and Miles flatly rejected him. I have two versions of this album. First, a vinyl reissue under the Columbia Masters Series, a two-for with Miles in Berlin, under the title Miles Davis - Heard 'Round the World. The discs have the 70s Columbia label. I'm listening again now and it sounds fantastic. This is an easier (and cheaper) way to find these albums on vinyl if you're in the US. Tokyo was initially released only in Japan, and Berlin was released only in Germany first, and then only in Japan for several years. They each got CD releases in the US in 2005. They are also both featured, in full concert form, on Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis 1963-1964. I've got an mp3 download of that collection and will listen to the Tokyo concert there next, but I can't imagine the lossy sound approaching the vinyl for quality.
Missed a chance to comment on Funny Valentine/Four and More. I love those albums so much. Definitely my favorite live Miles (alongside the Bootleg Series Vol. 1) and I try to point people in the direction of especially Four And More to show what Tony was capable of at such a young age. Regarding that Greatest Hits record... my father had it in addition to a ton of other Miles, and even though he loved many of the regular full-length records, I always keep a copy of that GH with me in his memory.
I have the Japan Mastersound Edition of the Tokyo concert and it sounds absolutely beautiful. I remember that Heard 'Round The World two-fer, but I don't think was ever floored by the sound quality on that. I think the Berlin concert is in fake stereo on that, since the recording only exists in mono (and is in real mono on the Columbia box). You might be surprised how good lossy sounds if the mastering is good
I've been curious about whether the Japan CD releases of either or both of these titles would sound better than what I've got. I think Tokyo sounds great on the two-fer, but haven't listened to Berlin in a while. I'm certainly open to the possibility of other reissues sounding better. Do you happen to know which mastering the regular US CD reissues use, and whether there's any benefit to ordering from Japan rather than getting them?
I don't know, but judging from past experience, the mastering should be the same as on the Legacy box. So by listening to your mp3s you'll get an idea about the sound of the individual US discs.
I just notice the typo in the title: Miles Davis, like, in concert! Hmmm... Would be a great title for the next Bootleg Series...
Listening now to the mp3s, and the difference is as you'd expect, between modern digital and late 70s/early 80s vinyl. The horns are brighter but also have more accurate tonality on the digital. The sound overall has more clarity. There is more and deeper bass present. But there's no beautiful black disc spinning.
Miles In Tokyo is a solid set, but as Rivers is not invited to play any of the "heads" it makes him sound like the temp he was.
A question: I am listening to Miles In Tokyo on Spotify and it sounds like a pretty good recording. However, I sometimes hear Miles trumpet in the distant background about 1 second before it appears in full sound. Is this some kind of tape phenomenon or a transfer issue etc. Do you guys hear the same thing on LP, CD etc? It is nothing that really bothers me but I notice it with no problem listening with headphones. Noticed it during the final part of "My Funny Valentine".
I believe this is a tape issue. Haven't listened to this album in a while but it happens often with Miles's sudden loud notes coming out of silence that he did on ballads, and other similar musical events.
"Four" & More / My Funny Valentine: I understand that some people prefer to listen to the set as it was programmed for the night but these albums fit me quite well. I am still a bigger fan of Miles' laidback stuff so My Funny Valentine is to me the perfect live album from this part of his carreer. However, I also found "Four" & More a highly enjoyable disc. I just have to be in the mood for that sort of thing. You can tell that these band members really complement each other on stage. As for "Miles In Tokyo" I really liked it. But because of (in my ears) a slightly lower sound quality and because the reasons stated above I would select the former pair before this one. All in all three good live albums that I enjoyed listening to. My Funny Valentine is on my vinyl record wish list now.
MFSL has announced that they'll be releasing, at some future date unknown to us mere mortals, My Funny Valentine on vinyl. I'd wait for that, because their already-released SACD of the same title is great. If you can't wait, originals can be had in VG+ condition for not a lot of money. This was a very popular album in its day.
I don't know. I have the original US pressing in mono. I'm not sure how the concert was recorded--I'd assume it was a multi-track recording, mixed separately to mono and to stereo. So I'd recommend either of those.
