Miles Davis . . . Incredible Depth And Infinite Complexity . . .
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My latest 'band binge' (my odd habit of picking a band or artist and playing their entire music catalog exclusively for an extended period of time) has been the incredible Miles Davis.I am astonished by the man's skills on an instrument I have largely overlooked in the past. I'm just not a winds person. . .I'm all about the strings. However, Miles has captured me with his siren songs. . . .he is the Hendrix of the trumpet and in my musical lexicon that means all others slam into his wall of skills and hear echoing in their head 'NONE SHALL PASS!' Miles has that rare blend I so dearly seek in my music, a cocktail of audio delights consisting of equal parts soul, improv and intonation with a good helping of 'dark' undertones. . I'm not saying doom-n-gloom but just that you can tell the man was releasing some of his innermost feelings into the music and that they aren't all happy and fun, for damn sure. . . .I've never really listened to much Jazz, per se. I check out the local jazz station from time to time (originally because it was the only other non-commercial station I liked, other than a classical one) and I liked some of what I heard here and there. . .but there was a LOT of music I just couldn't dig. . .the word cheesy comes to mind, truth be known. The same 'cheesy' sound I hear in a lot of 'blues'. . .like an old Budweiser commercial with the staged 'blues' band belting out sleezy sax sounds type 'cheesy'. . . But mannnnn, not Miles. You F E E L that man's music from a mile away. I would be there all barely standing some Doctor's office sounding tunes on the jazz station. . .probably because my computer is down and the classical station is doing pledge week. . .. and even if I was totally NOT paying attention, that trumpet would emerge like someone just turned up the volume to '11'. The sounds on the radio had changed and my attention was demanded - it was like the parting of the Dread Sea and Miles was belting sounds my ass had never heard before.. .. Hooked on these sounds, I have obtained a pretty extended collection of Miles Davis' work and its been an incredibly enriching segue from all the Delta blues I listen to frequently. So different the wild free form jazz from the gritty delta blues yet there are these underlying 'energies' (for the lack of a better word) to them both that are somehow similar. All I know for sure at this point, is that I will continue to immerse myself in this man's work, lost among the incredible depth and infinite complexity.From what I have heard so far, I would definitely recommend the Bitches Brew (1970) album as well as 'The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (4CD)'.
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