Miles Discovers Electricity

Miles Davis always seemed to have one foot in the present and one foot pointing to the future, and at the beginning of 1968, it was clear in which direction he was heading. The year began with the release of Nefertiti in March 1968. Nefertiti was recorded in June and July of 1967, and would end up being his last fully acoustic album, as well as the last record that the Quintet would play as they were constituted. All of the songs were composed by Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, with the exception of Tony Williams' "Hand Jive". The album is outstanding, and the opening track, "Nefertiti", is a perfect demonstration for Williams' brilliant drumming. In fact, the whole band played up to their exceptional level, even though their time was coming to an end. Davis had become increasingly enamored with the rock-and-roll scene of the time, and was particularly fascinated with guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix. Accordingly, his next album Filles de Kilimanjaro from 1968, would be his first excursion in electronic experimentation. Miles would also add two new musicians: pianist Chick Corea and British bassist Dave Holland. Both Hancock and Corea would play the electric Rhodes piano in favor of an acoustic one, and Holland and Carter would play electric bass guitars. This definitely gives the album a much different feel than anything Davis had previously done, and the rock elements can be heard throughout. Ralph Gleason was right when he said there is a mystic quality to the record, and this was probably because no one had ever heard anything like it before. It was the first shot fired in the jazz fusion genre, and fittingly, it was Miles Davis holding the smoking gun. Both Filles de Kilimanjaro and its follow-up, In a Silent Way were warm-ups for the revolutionary double album, Bitches Brew. Recorded just weeks after the Apollo 11 moon landing, Bitches Brew took things a giant leap forward for the jazz-rock style. All of the members of the classic Quintet were gone except for Wayne Shorter, and close to a dozen musicians contributed to the album, including guitarist John McLaughlin. Like Kind of Blue, recorded a decade before, Bitches Brew has had a tremendous influence on other musicians. Thom Yorke of Radiohead said: "It was building something up and watching it fall apart, that's the beauty of it. It was at the core of what we were trying to do with OK Computer." Jazz music was changing along with the times, and jazz musicians replaced their suits and ties with bell-bottoms and bandanas. Probably no one could have imagined at the beginning of the decade that jazz would sound like this barely ten years later. While the album received mostly positive reviews, it also alienated many Davis fans and purists, who didn't consider it jazz at all. There were even some who charged Miles with selling out to gain more sales, especially among the younger black audience.

1967

Miles Davis Quintet in Europe, 1967

1967 is the year when everything came together for the Miles Davis Quintet. Their musical power would burst apart at the seams, as they released two more classic albums plus an extraordinary tour that would later be recognized as their creative zenith. Their excellent, but sometimes conventional debut album E.S.P. would give way to much more intense and penetrating material, while drummer Tony Williams would continue to hone his otherworldly skills. 1967 was also a turning point for the entire musical world. The Monterey Pop Festival in June, and the subsequent Summer of Love, were major events that brought to the forefront a new ideology among young people for more freedom and personal expression. Psychedelic drug use would also influence the sounds of many rock bands that year. Miles said of this period: "Around that time everything was in flux. Music, politics, race relations... everybody seemed confused-- even a lot of musicians who all of a sudden seemed to have more freedom than we ever had to do our own thing." In the autumn of 1966 the Quintet recorded Miles Smiles, which to many fans and jazz critics is their unchallenged masterpiece. Released in January 1967, it was immediately recognized as a special accomplishment. Respected columnist Nat Hentoff said: "Miles Smiles is certain to remain an important part of the Davis discography, both for the trumpeter's persistent brilliance and for the lesson by Williams and Carter in how the functions-- and the dynamic range-- of the jazz rhythm section are being explored and changed." Tony Williams' drumming is amazing, and the sounds and textures he was able to summon from his kit border on the supernatural. The band followed Miles Smiles with Sorcerer, released in December 1967. Sorcerer was mellower and less exciting than Miles Smiles, but it's still an impressive album, and the group continued to probe the outer limits of jazz while simultaneously expanding their own harmonic vocabulary. In October and November of 1967, the Miles Davis Quintet toured Europe as part of producer George Wein's "Newport Jazz Festival in Europe." Wein himself said that this group "was not ahead of its time. They were the time." The dates that they played in Paris, Antwerp, Copenhagen, and Karlsruhe were recorded and released in 2011 as Live in Europe 1967, The Bootleg Series. By the end of '67, the Quintet had been together for about three years, and had seemed to merge into a single unit that displayed an almost telepathic power in their interaction with one another. In these shows, they played new material, but also old standards-- albeit in a much more radical and experimental fashion. During the following year, the Miles Davis Quintet would begin to break apart, as Davis became increasingly influenced by the new rock sounds that he heard. Yet a new era was about to begin, as Miles would go electric.

The Second Coming

Occasionally, a group will come along that stands out among its peers, leaving an indomitable musical legacy. In 1964, Miles Davis brought together something truly special with his second classic quintet of Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams. Always possessing a keen eye for young talent, Davis saw the potential in each musician. Herbie Hancock, 22, was a child prodigy who had already recorded two solo records by the time he joined Davis. Ron Carter was a complete bassist with extraordinary technique, who had earned a master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Tony Williams was another phenom who was performing professionally around his hometown of Boston by the age of 13. After trying sax players Sam Rivers and George Coleman, Miles finally snagged the guy he really wanted: tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Shorter had been a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers since 1959, but he finally relented to Davis' overtures and joined him in early 1964, completing the quintet. According to Hancock, when he called Williams to tell him that Miles wanted them in his group, Tony screamed with excitement, "like a little kid, which he was-- he was 17 at the time..." Hancock also said that "It was always a joy to play with Miles... it was always full of risks, full of mystery... we loved getting lost and having to make something almost out of thin air." Many critics consider this group the finest small jazz combo ever, and they continue to leave a profound and lasting effect on subsequent jazz musicians. The quintet recorded their first studio album E.S.P. in January 1965, and although it didn't quite match their following albums in power and creativity, it formed the embryo of what would be born in the next two years. E.S.P. also introduced seven original compositions; until that time, Miles had been playing old standards for many years. This new group were not only talented musicians, but excellent composers as well. Each member contributed a song to the album except for Tony Williams. The quintet would not make another record for almost two years due to Miles' deteriorating health, but when they did, it was well worth the wait.

Blue and Gil

Rarely does a group of musicians enter a recording studio thinking they are about to make history. This was very likely the case when Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, and Jimmy Cobb walked into the CBS 30th Street Studio in New York City in early 1959 to record Kind of Blue. In fact, according to Cobb, the musicians had no idea what they were going to play until Miles handed them sheets with only a basic outline of what he wanted from them. This is the truest essence of improvisatory jazz, and the results were astounding. Bill Evans and Jimmy Cobb were the new additions to the group, and both of them played a key role in the album's sound. Evans was a classically trained pianist interested in Impressionist music by composers Debussy and Ravel, and their influence definitely shows in his solos. Apart from being the greatest-selling jazz record of all time, the true testament of its significance can be seen in the influence it has had, not just among jazz musicians, but rock musicians as well. Duane Allman, the virtuoso guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band, said that he wore out his copy of Kind of Blue from playing it over and over again on his turntable. Allman said, "I've listened to that album so many times that for the past couple of years I haven't hardly listened to anything else." It also greatly influenced his own playing, as well as the Allmans' improvisatory, jazzy jams. The late, great Pink Floyd pianist Richard Wright also found inspiration from the album, and he used one of its chords for the song "Breathe" on their 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon. Equally important was the relationship that Davis formed with arranger Gil Evans. Miles and Gil had similar musical tastes, as well as a mutual admiration for one another. They made beautiful orchestral jazz together in the late '50s, the highlights being Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy and Bess (1958), and Sketches of Spain (1960). Porgy and Bess is considered the greatest of them, and Davis' trumpet playing never sounded better. In addition to the trumpet, Miles also played the flugelhorn on many of the record's songs, which gave him an even softer, mellower tone. This was a golden era for Miles Davis. He was at the peak of his powers, both as a musician, and as a jazz icon. Many kids looked up to him as the epitome of coolness, and he was popular with both white and black audiences. A major blow came when John Coltrane decided to leave to form his own band, with Jimmy Cobb following shortly after. As the '60s dawned, Miles looked to a younger generation of jazz musicians to push him to higher levels, and he would attain this with his second classic quintet.

The First Classic Quintet

Miles Davis (right) and John Coltrane

Paul Chambers

In 1955, Davis formed his first classic Quintet. The band consisted of John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Paul Chambers on bass, Red Garland on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Although they were only together for about three years, they produced a plethora of classic records that included 'Round About Midnight, Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin'. What is so remarkable about the last four is that they were recorded in two days in May and October 1956. This was because Davis was still under contract to Prestige Records. He had an obligation to record four more albums for them before he could jump ship to Columbia, so he was obviously eager to get it over with. However,  the quality of the music did not suffer in the slightest, as these albums are considered luminous examples of 1950s jazz. This was a talented group. John Coltrane was not only immensely gifted, but he practiced obsessively-- by some reports, up to 12 hours a day. This gave him a technical proficiency that became the envy of other saxophone players. Coltrane would develop a style known as "sheets of sound" and became famous-- or infamous, depending on who you ask-- for playing solos that would last for a half hour or more. Paul Chambers was only 20 years old when he joined the band, but he was already a well-rounded and dependable bassist. Unfortunately, he too would develop addictions to heroin and alcohol and would die at the age of 33. Red Garland's melodic playing fit in nicely with Mile's style, and Philly Joe Jones was a dynamic and powerful drummer, who became Davis's all-time favorite. Miles would add alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley in 1958, and the newly-formed sextet would record Milestones in February and March of that year. This was a record that would end up being a turning point in Davis' career. Milestones would use modal scales instead of strict chord progressions, and this created more melodic and less restrictive music. Charles Edward Smith in his original liner notes for the album remarked: "...there is a solid swing in the strong dance tempo of Milestones-- one of the great jazz performances of 1958..." This would be the only record that this sextet would make, as Miles would add new players in the following months. However, Milestones opened the door to the future of his music. This includes Kind of Blue, regarded by many as his masterpiece, and a shining diamond in the history of recorded sound.

Beginnings

Miles Davis and Charlie Parker

52nd Street, New York City c. 1950s

Newport Jazz Festival, 1955

Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois, and began playing the trumpet when he was 13 years old. He progressed rapidly and he played his first professional gig with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie when he was 17. After moving to New York City, Davis sought out Parker and Gillespie at the 52nd Street jazz nightclubs, such as the 3 Deuces and the Onyx. Davis eventually replaced Gillespie and he played alongside Parker in the late 1940s. Miles was talented, but raw, and it would take him another decade before he would perfect his signature sound-- tender, romantic, and extremely melodic. In 1949, he would record Birth of the Cool, which introduced the cool jazz movement, and would be the first new style that he would be at the forefront of. It was recorded in January 1949 and March 1950, and was something of a backlash against the frenetic quality of bebop that Davis initially played. He had always loved the soothing sounds of the big band era, and was interested in creating a similar sound with a smaller band. These sessions would also be the first collaboration between Miles and Gil Evans, a relationship that would reach its full maturity in the late 1950s. Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, and drum maestro Max Roach were the supporting musicians on the record. In 1951 he recorded his first album as a leader titled The New Sounds with Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins, Walter Bishop, Jr., Tommy Potter, and Art Blakey. A malady that affected many jazz musicians of the era would eventually incapacitate Davis-- a severe addiction to heroin. He would leave music for a while to stay with his parents until he could kick his habit. The 1955 Newport Jazz Festival provided the backdrop for Miles' triumphant return, and his brilliant playing there would land him a record contract with Columbia Records. His classic era was about to begin.

The Prince of Darkness

                                                          
Miles Davis is one of the most revered and influential musicians in music history. From his beginnings with Charlie Parker, Davis would go on to play with some of jazz's greatest legends before making his own mark as a bandleader. His career spanned the genres of bebop in the 1940s through to the jazz-rock of the '70s, which he helped create, and he defined what it meant to be cool with his dark sunglasses and Italian suits. Davis, for all his talent and success, was a complex, and at times, combative person. Much of this had to do with the racial atmosphere he lived in at the peak of his fame. The 1950s were not an easy time for black people, and celebrities weren't immune to prejudice. One infamous incident happened outside of the Birdland jazz club on Broadway in August 1959. Between sets, Miles had gone outside to smoke a cigarette when he was told by a white police officer to leave. When Davis refused, he was beaten and arrested. Davis would say that this "changed my whole life and my whole attitude again, made me bitter and cynical again when I was really starting to feel good about the things that had changed in this country." He earned the nickname "Prince of Darkness" due to his serious, aloof nature, and for his habit of turning his back to the audience when he performed. Nevertheless, it seemed as if he was always at the forefront of any new musical style, which can be seen in his 1969 album Bitches Brew, which blew the doors open on the burgeoning fusion genre, and revolutionized the possibilities of the trumpet. Most of his recordings would become classics, and the quality of his catalogue is amazing. Perhaps his most famous record is Kind of Blue, recorded in 1959. This record has been cited as a major inspiration by many musicians, including the Allman Brothers. Porgy and Bess, Miles Ahead, and Milestones were other classic albums from this period. Davis had a beautiful trumpet sound that distinguished him from other players such as Dizzy Gillespie, whose focus was more on speed and technical mastery, than on tone. Davis had two classic quintets, one in the 1950s and one in the 1960s. The former group included John Coltrane, and this must have been one of the most powerful tandems in the history of jazz. When Coltrane left to start his own classic Quartet, Davis would assemble his second great quintet of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. Williams was only 17 when he joined this group, and he was a true drum prodigy. Miles Davis would hit some bumps in the following decades, and would never truly regain his status in the eyes of journalists and fans, but his legacy was already cemented.