Author: Syd Fablo

Directions in Music by Miles Davis – Filles de Kilimanjaro Columbia CS 9750 (1969)

A huge leap forward in the evolution of what became known as jazz “fusion”.  Really one of the finer albums of Miles Davis’ long and storied career.  What made Filles de Kilimanjaro such an advance over Miles in the Sky was the way it subdued and extended the song structures while at the same time elevating the throb of the bass and the kick of the drumming, those seemingly contradictory impulses held together by punchier bursts of horn and keyboard playing that drifted somewhat away from the spotlight and integrated themselves into the songs.  The vamps drive the songs but also leave room for modulation and shifts into improvisational flourishes.  The bass, drums and keyboards trade off each other (see “Tout de suite”) to create tension and forward momentum.  The wind instruments aren’t presented as prominent soloists like in the past, but more as the equals of the rhythm section, which gets to rise to the forefront on a shared basis rather than being relegated to a merely supportive role. This may resemble traditional jazz more than the next few albums, like In a Silent Way and the epochal Bitches Brew, etc, etc.  There is still a clear purpose and distinctive sound achieved that refuses to step back from an increasingly militant — yet hopefully positive — mindset.  Most significantly, this album decisively tipped the balance away from traditional jazz and toward fusion.  This one is just (barely) a half step behind the very best of Davis’ records, which is saying a lot when it comes to arguably the single greatest recording artist of the 20th Century.  This also makes a pretty good entry point to the fusion era.

Miles Davis – Miles in the Sky Columbia CS 9628 (1968)

Miles in the Sky gives the impression that it is pandering to psychedelic pop/rock audiences, or that it is just a tentative and transitional effort nestled between more effective recordings of markedly different styles.  But such appearances are deceiving.  Miles Davis and his “second great quintet” were clearly expanding their horizons, and certainly were incorporating more elements of rock (and soul jazz).  Yet the results, however mellow the mood tends to be, are effective.  The album is often categorized as the worst of the Miles Davis Quintet’s late-1960s albums.  And it probably is.  But that says very little, because that band was releasing one classic after another.  This is still a very fine album.  And if nothing else, this might be drummer Tony Williams‘ best performance on record (perhaps rivaled only by his efforts on Sorcerer).  The entire album is a showcase for his relentlessly creative drumming, which never seems to stagnate or rest on repetitive structures yet somehow always seems engaging and connected to the flow of each song.  Keyboardist Herbie Hancock is clearly enthusiastic about the push toward rock music, though saxophonist Wayne Shorter, while his playing is good, seems the most hesitant about shifting away from the style he used in prior years.