There is good discussion on the mastering and sonics for Live/Evil in this thread: Coming January 2020 - Miles Davis' "Live Evil" Quad Mix On SACD In 7" Mini LP Package
Listening to Dingo now. There is a second trumpeter, Chuck Findley, a member of the old Tonight Show band w/ Doc, who handles the open-horn parts. Some tracks are just brief snippets, some are just atmospheric film scoring, one is just a cut from the film soundtrack where Miles' character is warming up... but it is jazz. Michel Legrand got Miles to play a set of enjoyable, acoustic jazz in 1990. It would be worth tracking it down for that alone, but I'd even add this to the list of "good post-hiatus albums" by Miles. I found this on cassette in a cut-out bin a long time ago, probably listened to it once or twice, then it disappeared into a box. Revisiting it now, I'd say that it deserves better. Next time I feel like straying outside of the core collection, I should remember to put this on again.
Hope all is well with everyone during these trying times. I must say, over the years I've come to build a strong appreciation for Miles's music of his final decade. And this is coming from someone whose all time favorite album from anybody is Agharta. These days Tutu ranks amongst some of my all time favorite works of Miles's entire output. In particular I love listening to "Portia" with my wife, what a gorgeous and mood inducing composition. The title track, "Tomaas", "Splatch", and the reggae dub flavored "Don't Lose Your Mind" stick to my rib as well. "Ms. Morrisine" for me is the hidden gem of You're Under Arrest. For me the first 3 tracks from The Man With The Horn are flawless. I even dig the title track. And for me all those live clips of Miles of this time really take the cake. I love both the mid 80s bands with Vince Wilburn Jr. on drums and the later bands with Ricky Wellman, Foley, and Kenny Garrett. Doo-Bop anyone?
I like Dingo. Miles playing jazz and working with Legrand again - I'm sure he knew he didn't have long to live. Not earth-shattering, but some lovely trumpet playing and songs. The Hot Spot, Dingo, the Montreux set playing Gil Evans - it's Miles reconnecting with his roots and looking back for once.
He did record and and play some great music - especially live - in his final decade. It's still very underrated. Partly due to the simple fact that he made such incredible and groundbreaking music in the 50s, 60s and half of the 70s. Kind of Blue, the 60s quintet, the Gil Evans albums, In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew, some of the 70s albums - all great treasures of music in the 20th century.
I totally agree as I saw him twice in his last decade and his live shows were so much better than the albums he was releasing at the time.
I have a soft spot for "Under Arrest" because a friend lent it to me before I got seriously into Miles and it was probably the perfect starter album for Miles due to the commercial aspect - hey that's a Cyndi Lauper song! - but otherwise I've yet to appreciate the music of his final decade. After years of listening to bits and pieces of his rather large catalog I decided to start at the beginning with Miles and have spent the last few years working my way through the early years and the first great quintet. I'm currently trying to understand what the second great quintet are doing. I love In A Silent Way and Pangea but otherwise I haven't figured out how to get into the electric era. After I get through all that I'll tackle the last decade . . . some day.
I saw Miles in 1988 I believe it was at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. Very small place. 2 shows. Miles was on fire. I wish his albums had been like that show.
As you like Pangaea I suggest you try Agharta next as it was recorded in the same series of gigs in Japan. To my ears Agharta is a higher energy version of Pangaea and I prefer it. Once you’ve absorbed that I’d work backwards to Dark Magus, another live recording from a few months earlier.
I've just finally started working my way through Miles' discography via Complete Columbia Album Collection (I know, what took me so long?) and I'm really enjoying it! Great material through and through and I haven't found a disc I didn't like yet. I'm only up to Seven Steps To Heaven so I'm nearing the works of his second great quintet (I'm somewhat going in order, skipping the compilations and saving them for when they were actually released). I also have a few of the other essentials like the five Prestige albums with his first great quintet (Miles, Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', Steamin'), Birth Of The Cool, Somethin' Else by Cannonball Adderley, etc. Also, I sourced 'Jazz Track' from the mono box and that is a great compilation imo! I'm expecting to enjoy the electric period, as In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew were the only Miles albums I had heard before getting the complete box. I love Silent Way, and Bitches Brew was more of a challenge but still brilliant. Both albums helped me discover the jazz fusion genre I love so much. I'm starting to wonder if I'll enjoy the some of the 'complete sessions' sets that exist? All of the unreleased material is enticing, but that is a lot of music to sit through. Definitely more of a short album listener. Even the two Blackhawk sets, which are excellent, I've only listened to a few times because they're both two hours long. I've been taking the bonus tracks off of all of the albums except for the live releases (which have mostly been altered greatly, Carnegie Hall is presented in two discs as the full concert, etc.) when adding them to my digital library to keep the albums as they were presented back in the day (which is my preferred way to experience the material) and to keep the running times short.
wow! would've loved to have been there. longtime fan of the montreux collection, and when listening, I always think about how ahead of his time miles was here, once again. not just what prince was doing, and would do (and I know miles listened, too), but for the whole jamband thing - I hear a lot of what phish has gone on to do, for example. now whether these band listened to the montreux stuff, or it was filtered through other sources, I don't know. but I do know that what he was doing live with his bands in 80s certainly was new and groundbreaking, and certainly foretold, and (likely) influenced, what would come in many musical genres. he stout to play rock and funk and jazz, and he did it.
Just a little story from the show. I don't remember the tune, but Miles played an incredible otherworldly solo, the whole crowd was just blown away by what he was doing. It was one of those magical things that happen at shows from time to time. Anyway, when he was done and the crowd was done showing our enthusiasm Miles pointed to Foly for the next solo. Foly just stepped back and shook his head no. Miles gave him a look and then pointed to Kenny Garrett. Kenny shook his head no and stepped back. Talk about a look from Miles. Hahah Miles went around the whole band pointing who should play next and they all refused. It was a priceless moment. The end result? Miles just played some more.
I love the ones that I have, but based on your description of your listening habits I'd recommend splitting them up into smaller bites if you do get them. As you really like IASW & BB the most, I'd say start with those.
I think that's Michael Brecker with the tenor sax. The guitarist looks familiar but I can't name him. Maybe Marcus Miller on bass?
You are right. Kazumi Watanabe - Unsolved secrets Tell me about the 1981 photo of you with the Brecker Brothers and Marcus Miller that has Miles Davis and Chaka Khan looking on. After recording sessions with the Kazumi Band for the Talk You All Tight album finished up in 1981, I still had a month remaining in New York City. Michael and Randy Brecker asked me to work with the Brecker Brothers during that period. The same line-up also toured Japan. This was also around the time of Miles Davis’ The Man with the Horn. I heard from Mike Stern that Miles was going to clubs and checking out guitarists, which is how that photo at 7th Avenue South came about. Chaka happened to be with him that night. Miles came up to me after watching me perform and asked me to play the same parts again. I did and he seemed interested in what I was doing. After that, he said something else to me, but I didn't understand what it was. I got the impression that he was inviting me to a session, but he didn’t say when or where it would be. Later, I heard from Mike Stern that Miles had actually done that. It’s a shame I didn’t understand that at the time. We’ll never know what might have happened.
I thought that was him. He did a couple of albums in the mid 80's with Bill Bruford & Jeff Berlin that are pretty good. He also did a couple of things with Marcus Miller, Mobo 1 off the top of my head. He would have been an interesting choice to play with Miles. Personally I would have liked to have heard it.
I remember when he was playing small clubs around LA. I wish I'd have gone. But I was reading that he was not always on fire during this period and sometimes played quite reserved and minimally. But still to be in the presence of a great and in a small place.
