Miles Davis -][- Filles De Kilimanjaro [Columbia]

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African American, Jazz, Miles Davis, Trumpet

As we know, purist, critics and music enthusiast alike deemed trumpeter Miles Davis as renaissance man. Even so, as progressive thinker he decided to flip the script as he dove head first into a new chapter in his life with “Filles De Kilimanjaro” which was an unexpected journey into the caverns of jazz fusion on Columbia. Arguably, “Filles De Kilimanjaro” was a massive imprint of what was yet to come. As a visionary, Miles surpass the ordinary with this recording at the time when the culture shaken by the “Civil Rights Movement” and four assignations of the most provocative leaders in American history. —Rob Young | The Urban Flux

Miles Davis - Filles De Kilimanjaro

Miles Davis -][- Filles De Kilimanjaro – [Columbia Records, 1968] (Dlx) [Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

Filles de Kilimanjaro has an odd pedigree for an “album” — it was recorded in two different sessions, featuring two different lineups. As a result, in their box-set-everything-Miles-recorded campaign, Sony/Legacy split this album across two boxed sets. That’s really unfortunate, because these recordings really work well together, and as an ALBUM this is one of the highest peaks in Miles Davis’s career.

The three middle tracks (“Tout de Suite”, “Petit Machins”, “Filles de Kilimanjaro”) were the last recordings of the 2nd Quintet with Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock. These five musicians played great on nearly all their recordings, but here they are really incredible. And the MVP has to be Tony Williams, who supplies the music with lots of extra juice. “Tout” combines mellow, Gil Evans arranged outer sections with an explosive rock middle section; Miles and Wayne play off the fireworks of Tony’s drumming. “Petit Machins” is the most conventional melody here, but the improvisation afterward is open-ended. The title track has a gorgeous, dreamy melody a la “Footprints” or “Masqualero”.

NEA JAZZ MASTER RANDY WESTON TO RELEASE A NEW CD WITH HIS AFRICAN RHYTHMS SEXTET

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African American, Jazz, Piano, Randy Weston

AVAILABLE TODAY: 11/9/2010
RANDY WESTON AND HIS AFRICAN RHYTHMS SEXTET,
THE STORYTELLER: LIVE AT DIZZY’S CLUB COCA-COLA

“…a lifelong scholar of Africa, (Randy Weston’s) playing has always had a ring of the ancient in it; his percussive, resounding bass-clef chords are among the great pleasures in jazz piano.” – Ben Ratliff, The New York Times

RANDY WESTON - THE STORYTELLER

For over five decades, pianist, composer, bandleader and NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston has enjoyed a distinguished career in music. With over 46 CDs as a leader, Weston has continued to perform his Africa-inspired jazz throughout the world and has been the recipient of many international awards and honors.

This fall, Weston is set to release a new live album with his African Rhythms sextet, The Storyteller: Live At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, his debut for Motéma Music (available November 9). The CD is a musical companion to Weston’s highly anticipated memoir, African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston, a collaboration with Willard Jenkins and published by Duke University Press (also available November 9).

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of his landmark recording, Uhuru Afrika, a spectacular four-part suite composed by Weston, arranged by long-time collaborator Melba Liston, with lyrics by the great Harlem Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes (to be celebrated with a concert at Tribeca Performing Arts Center on November 13).