Miles Davis

So, I’ve been circling back to the classics lately. Diving into some Acid jazz and then moving into Fusion jazz. Just picked up a few things from Miles Davis. Anyway, 👍

Anyone else here actually listening to this legend? If you are, which albums should I be looking for?

Also, what else should I grab if I want more Fusion jazz?

just try Miles Davis' Bitches Brew

I don't know much about Jazz, but I have Miles Davis - Birth of cool sitting on my shelf at home. It's actually a great record, though I rarely find myself spinning it since I'm so used to distorted guitars. 😁

You really gotta give Kind of Blue a spin

Miles Davis is the gold standard. You really should try to track down some of his older albums.

damien said:you should give Miles' Bitches Brew a spin

👍

And—if you're truly looking to dive deep into fusion jazz—then you absolutely cannot miss Mahavishnu Orchestra or Weather Report... sleep well...

damien said:go check out Miles Davis' Bitches Brew

Insane album. Seriously good.

damien said:Give Miles' Bitches Brew a shot.

It goes great with "on The Corner"

By the way, if anyone happens to have copies of get up with IT or Pangae, shoot me a DM!

Grab a copy of Milestones; it’s bebop at its finest, and the whole band is firing on all cylinders.

A few other fusion picks from my collection:
If you want an entry point, start with Heavy Weather from Weather Report.
You should also listen to and check out Spectrum by Billy Cobham—you'll be surprised by how many familiar melodies pop up. 🙂
I'd also recommend being you and diving into both My Spanish Heart and Light as a Feather by Chick Corea.

There’s plenty to dig into here; these are my go-to picks for getting into the genre. 😎

frozenlynx29 said:listen to and "Spectrum" from Billy Cobham; you might be surprised by how many recognizable themes you'll catch 🙂

Are we talking about some old school funk icon? 😬

Since we're bringing up Chick Corea, we really should also mention his band Return to Forever and their album "Where Have I Known You Before." It’s such an intense, heavy brand of fusion jazz. 😁

Well... I've been playing Jazz for about 13 years now (or if I'm being honest, just trying to wrap my head around 😁), and I've been listening for at least 20. 🙂

In short, Miles Davis is easily one of the greatest musicians of the last century—and I don't just mean in Jazz, but across the entire musical spectrum. He kicked off his professional career alongside Charlie Parker (whom he describes in his autobiography as the absolute greatest genius to ever hold a saxophone, a sentiment I couldn't agree with more), and his list of legendary collaborators is just staggering: John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley... honestly, he should have played with Jimi Hendrix too, if only the guy hadn't died such a tragic, senseless death, and toward the end of his run, he was even recording with Prince.

That said, if you ask me, his peak work happened up until around 1965. After that, he started experimenting quite a bit with fusion (not nuclear fusion, mind you 😁), and while he certainly didn't lose his touch afterward, there's just something about those earlier years...

To cut a long story short, out of the roughly 20 Miles Davis CDs I own, here are my top recommendations:

Kind of Blue (this has been crowned the greatest Jazz album ever recorded more times than I can count, and personally, I'm right along with them—you've got John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Bill Evans all in the same band, with Miles leading the charge... the only thing that could have made it better is if Parker had come back from the dead 😁).

The Complete Concert 1964 : my Funny Valentin + Four & more (a double CD), featuring Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams in the rhythm section (it’s basically the ultimate dream team 😁). This is a live recording from a benefit concert supporting civil rights for Black Americans in the South; if you want to get a sense of what the atmosphere in the USA was like during that era, check out the movie Mississippi Burning starring Gene Hackman. The venue was packed to the rafters and tickets were incredibly expensive, so Miles made the spontaneous decision that none of his bandmates would take a single cent for the performance as a way to make his point. Naturally, the rest of the band was absolutely livid and they spent the whole time bickering amongst themselves, though Miles claims that's probably why they played so brilliantly... anyway, just grab the CD and read the booklet 😁.

So yeah, that's the gist of it. 😁

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I started things off by picking up You're Under Arrest. It’s decent enough. Doesn't exactly feel like a trip to another galaxy, but it's definitely above average.

The real issue is how hard it is to actually find this stuff. You walk into a local record store and ask, "Hey, do you carry any Jazz?" and they just give you this blank stare—as if anyone actually listens to it anymore.

And what about that little spot in Brooklyn with the vinyl and all that Jazz? 🙂

PS, bluemaker has tons of stuff—if we agree on a price, maybe I could get you to film some of it 😁

bluemaker, did I ever tell you that you’d make an amazing manager? 😁

Man, some musicians played Acid Jazz at the Barokan Večer festival, and they were absolutely phenomenal. Seriously top-tier stuff. Even though the CD sounds great, nothing beats the pure, visceral rush of hearing Jazz live. It’s a whole different level of intensity. 😁

brisknomad6 said:What about that one little shop downtown that specializes in classics and Jazz?🙂>

PS, bluemaker has such an incredible collection, so if we can agree on a specific price, maybe you could record some stuff for me😁

bluemaker, have I mentioned before that I think you'd be an absolutely amazing manager?😁

Man, thanks so much, you're a lifesaver!😬

I actually end up shopping at that same store most of the time too (I think it's called Dinaton, 😁 )

Khm... excuse my little moment of self-promotion... I've got about 300 CDs at home, and they are strictly Jazz, so now, just like brisknomad6 suggested, for a small fee... (yeah, I'm a total nutcase, honestly, I've completely lost it 😬 )

swiftscout8 said:Oh man, I remember some of those musicians playing at the local jazz festivals back in the day, performing all that incredible Acid Jazz. They were absolutely phenomenal—just pure magic! While listening to a recording on a CD sounds great, nothing can truly compare to the sheer, overwhelming rush of experiencing live Jazz in person. It’s a total sensory overload in the best way possible. 😁

So, what do you think? Should I shoot you a private message once we have our next big gig lined up? 😁

bluemaker said:Man, thanks a ton, brother! 😬

I actually pick up most of my stuff from that same shop (pretty sure it's called 😁 )

khm... total self-promotion there... I've got about 300 CDs at home, all exclusively Jazz, so yeah, like brisknomad6 said, for a small fee... (honestly, I'm a nut job, what am I even doing? I've totally lost it 😬 )

Go ahead and record something for me.🙂
I usually stick to the rule of buying the classics and original Jazz pressings, but I always need to give something a listen first. It’s just how I'm wired.🙂

So, I’m just gonna lightly sharpen up my tools and start counting up the rebels on the hunt:

😁 😁

Baan said:So, what’s the plan? Should I shoot you a DM once the next paycheck hits?😁

Sure. Just hit me up whenever you guys find yourselves in Chicago or Cleveland. As for Bitches Brew—or whatever else we're feeling—we can probably iron out those details well before then.😉 😁

So, tell me, is anyone else here actually into these jazz subgenres? Tracking down these albums is an absolute nightmare unless you're willing to order them through Amazon. Does anyone have any solid acid jazz recommendations? 🙂