Song:Full Nelson
Album:Live Around The World
Miles Davis recorded so much music that it is very easy to get bogged down in the sheer volume of his discography. In 1985, Miles did the unthinkable and left Columbia Records after 30 years on the label and signed with Warner Bros. Records. This happened for a couple of reasons but mostly because the always mercurial Miles was constantly annoyed with Columbia's release schedule of his music. But the final straw was likely when Columbia sent golden boy trumpeter Wynton Marsalis on stage unannounced during one of Miles' concerts. Miles sent him off and he signed with Warners soon after. For his 1986 album Tutu, Miles reunited with bassist Marcus Miller and this innovator of recording techniques got to work with modern recording studio technology for the first time. Live Around The World is a collection of concert tracks recorded in the late 80s. The album was released in 1996. Marcus Miller wrote Full Nelson but he isn't on this album. Musicians include Kenny Garrett on sax, Joey Defrancesco, Robert Irving III, Kei Akagi & John Beasley on keyborads, Foley & Richard Patterson on bass and Ricky Wellman on drums. The album even includes a song from Miles' final live performance in 1991. Critics tend to dismiss his later music as not jazz but Miles was always a musical exlplorer and didn't seem to care much about musical pigeon holes. So this album is recommended listening. Miles Davis died on Sept. 28, 1991 at age 65. Here's Miles Davis performing Full Nelson at the 1988 North Sea Jazz Festival.
Dear Frank,
ReplyDeleteThank you for hi-lighting this video and CD. It's a nice reminder of Miles' music and concerts during the last years.
I am John Beasley's wife and delight in the stories John shares about playing with Miles.
John is currently touring with 2 former Miles' band mates, Buster Williams and Bennie Maupin, along with Jeff Tain Watts in London and Los Angeles. Ck out his new CD and YouTube video.
FOR GRAMMY CONSIDERATION:
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, LETTER TO HERBIE
Best Instrumental Composition, HERE AND NOW
Best Instrumental Arrangement, BEDTIME VOYAGE
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo:
3 FINGER SNAP, John Beasley
EYE OF THE HURRICANE, Roy Hargrove
HERE AND NOW, Christian McBride
LISTEN: www.myspace.com/johnbeasleymusic.
REVIEWS: http://www.beasleymusic.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=1
VIEW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCEw_04Ikuc
Thanks from a Torontonian.
www.beasleymusic.com
Defshepard here. Miles Davis is great!! i keep forgetting how good he was. I am glad to see he also was willing to explore musically and go beyound "pidgen holes" as you put it and stretch the boundries a little.
ReplyDeleteI've featured Miles before but I hadn't featured his 80s music. If you search, you can find some of his other videos. Jazz fans tend to be snobs and Miles was constantly criticized for supposedly not being jazz. He didn't seem to care and neither do I.
ReplyDelete