Various Artists -][- Birth of the Cool Funk: Vintage Jams and Serious Grooves -[LRC Ltd., 2012]

Tags

African American, B. Baker Chocolate Company, Bob Berg, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Ponder, Joe Thomas, Johnny Lytle, Lonnie Smith, Miles Davis, O'Donel Levy, Ramon Morris

Various Artists, Birth of the Cool Funk - (Vintage Jams and Serious Grooves, Vol2)

Various Artists -][- Birth of the Cool Funk – Vintage Jams and Serious Grooves, Vol. 2 –MP3– [LRC Ltd., 2012]-

Truly a “best of” compilation of vintage cool funk …

Excellent choice cuts. While the Jams are vintage they are also timeless. These seem to get better with age and each time I listen to it, the old cliche “like a fine wine” applies.

I was also impressed with crystal-clear quality and rich dynamics of the recordings, yet nowhere does the CD cover mention whether the recording is digitally remastered. –Amazon Customer Review

Featuring: Jimmy McGriff, O’Donel Levy, Joe Thomas, Johnny Lytle, Ramon Morris, Jimmy Ponder, Bob Berg, Miles Davis, Lonnie Smith and B. Baker Chocolate Company!

..:: SOURCE: Amazon.com ::..

PEAR FOLLOWS SAGE ADVICE FROM MILES DAVIS ON AUSPICIOUS DEBUT; NICK PIERONE AND RICK MILNE PRESENT A STRIKING PASTICHE ON extemp’ore

Tags

Miles Davis, NICK PIERONE, RICK MILNE

Pear - Extempore

MAY 24 RELEASE INCLUDES CARL VERHEYAN, JIMMY JOHNSON, JENNIFER LEITHAM, PRINCE DIABATE, CINDY WONDERFUL

LISTEN TO EXCLUSIVE STREAMING TRACKS FROM extemp’ore

On the opening strains of “Dewey Miles,” the mysterious lead-off track from Pear’s extemp’ore, the voice of Miles Davis intones (in that oft-imitated gruff demeanor): “Don’t play what you know, play what you hear.” Later in that groove-heavy piece, Miles declares: “I don’t want to be labeled anything. I’m a musician.” Those two mantras serve as sage-like guidance for the duo of pianist Nick Pierone and percussionist Rick Milne (the core of Pear) on their auspicious debut. Given license to paint vivid colors on a blank canvas, this could be a soundtrack to a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting. Pear dives headlong into a pool of provocative sound where the freedom principle prevails and the results are wide-ranging and genre-defying. Drawing on a wealth of musical influences, the audacious duo has concocted a striking pastiche where Miles and Cecil Taylor sit comfortably beside Brian Eno, Digable Planets, Medeski, Martin & Wood, the Bad Plus and Jaco Pastorius, with touches of minimalism, lyricism and spoken word experimentalism thrown into the subversive mix.

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

Tags

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”.

[the Weekend spin] … features Rachel Z Trio (Tribute Music of Wayne Shorter) and saxophonist Joe Henderson (Musing for Miles)

Tags

Jazz, Joe Henderson, Miles Davis, Piano, Rachel Z

Greetings jazz aficionados, it’s Friday once again and this time with a cool arctic like breeze fills the air to remind some of us particularly southerns autumn has arrived in full bloom. The weekend spin features two of my favorite artists, pianist Rachel Z and the late Joe Henderson on saxophone serves up two incredible yet somewhat diverse recordings. —Rob Young | The Urban Flux

Rachel Z Trio - On The Milky Way Express

Rachel Z Trio -][- On The Milky Way Express (Tribute Music of Wayne Shorter) – [Tone Center, 2000]

Manhattan-born pianist Rachel Z regards veteran saxophonist Wayne Shorter as a genius, whose music “creates a glimpse into the mystical beauty and nature of life” and offers a “reflection of the life condition of enlightenment and love.” Z, the disciple, honors her teacher lovingly and imaginatively on this straight-ahead tribute to Shorter’s talents as a composer. Z, whose approach to classical studies at age 15 was transformed when she heard Shorter’s music on Miles Smiles, was recruited by Shorter to handle orchestrations for his Grammy-winning 1995 contemporary jazz release, High Life. Here, Z addresses 11 of Shorter’s works in a trio setting, joined by bassist Miriam Sullivan (whose credits include work with Wynton Marsalis and Lionel Hampton) and drummer Allison Miller.

Recorded on two-track, their approach is refreshingly spare, earnest, and spirited, making lasting lyrical impressions with their winning interpretations of “Black Nile,” “Three Marias,” and a sagaciously swinging “Witch Hunt.” A night-and-day departure from her smooth-jazz disc Love Is the Power, On the Milky Way Express has such intelligent playing that it’s simultaneously serene and alert, a lesson in composition taught by Shorter and clearly absorbed by his student. —Terry Wood | Amazon.com

Joe Henderson - So Near, So Far

Joe Henderson -][- So Near, So Far (Musing for Miles) – [Polygram Records, 1993]

Albums that purport to do honor to a musician are always a dicey proposition. The obvious question is, why do we want to hear the music redone? Why not just listen to the original? Joe Henderson’s tribute to the artistry of Miles Davis, “So Near, So Far” answers the question by offering fresh takes on key tunes associated with Miles. Henderson’s goal is not imitation; it’s interpretation.

Henderson has been one of my favorite musicians for a long, long time, but he still managed to surprise me with this album. Discarding the aggressive attack he displayed in the Blue Note years, he plays a lot here in the middle to upper register, and his tone in the upper regions is bell-like, his control flawless.

As the best example, check out his work on “Flamenco Sketches,” a key tune from Miles’ “Kind of Blue” release. After John Scofield introduces the haunting melody on guitar, Henderson enters quietly, sketching the theme so delicately on his tenor that it sounds for a moment like a flute.

Another highlight is “Pfrancing (No Blues),” Miles’ tribute to a dancer. Henderson’s tenor dances on this one, as he builds a perfectly arced solo, pushed along by Scofield.

Al Foster on drums and Dave Holland on bass, both frequent collaborators with Miles, also make strong contributions throughout. This is a well-fused quartet, and all the members exhibit a genuine respect for the music without lapsing into a recycling of the tunes.

Scofield remarked in the liner notes that he thinks about Miles every time he plays jazz. The beauty of this album is that it captures the spirit that Miles imparted, and a good part of that spirit is the admonition that every jazz musician must take what he learns to find his own voice. —Tyler Smith | Amazon.com

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

Flux Music Essentials … [Davis, El Movimiento, McFerrin, Parks & Washington]

Tags

Aaron Parks, Bobby McFerrin, El Movimiento, Grover Washington Jr., Jazz, Miles Davis

Greeting’s jazz enthusiasts, I’m back with another tasty mix of jazz that’s undoubtedly shaken and well stirred from the shelves of the “Flux Music Essentials.” As can you see, the titles below may or may not fit in the category of hot selling artist/recordings. Nevertheless, they’re personal favorites that I’ve met and grown to love.

Flux Music Essentials

Miles Davis - Nefertiti

Miles Davis -|- Nefertiti – [Sony, 1967]

The fourth studio album by the second great Miles Davis quintet, and the second comprising material recorded in the pivotal year of 1967, NEFERTITI marked yet another metamorphosis in the career of a great musician noted for welcoming change. While Davis (1926-1991) did not make wholesale, far- reaching alterations on NEFERTITI, as he had on KIND OF BLUE and E.S.P and would on BITCHES BREW, one could say that the pace-setting trumpeter-bandleader modified his approach to the freebop that had for two-and-and-half years been his group’s bread and butter, at least for recording purposes.

On the title selection, and to a lesser extent on “Fall” (another indelibly aching piece) and “Pinocchio,” all high water marks in the catalog of tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, the group’s principal composer, Davis had the front line and rhythm section reverse their traditional roles. While the horns repeated the theme again and again, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams shifted the beat’s emphasis, stretched the time, and offered a full dynamic/emotional range. The effect was like a series of time lapse photographs of a particularly beautiful scene, with light and color and shadows subtly, but continually changing, thus shifting the focus of one’s eye – or, in this case, ear. This made for some of Davis’ most mesmerizing music since KIND OF BLUE and SKETCHES OF SPAIN.

Expanded significantly to almost 66 minutes by the the inclusion of four consistently enthralling alternate takes, NEFERTITI presents Miles Davis’ second great quintet at the peak of their hypnotic, roiling, poetic powers. —Amazon.com

New Music [Jazz] Releases for 2/23/2010

Tags

African American, Cindy Blackman, Jazz, John Pizzarelli, Mark Whitfield, Miles Davis

It’s hard to imagine, but February is coming to and end. Spring is just around the corner calling us to get ready for some exciting music and events waiting in the mist for us to embrace. We’re excited with another week of new titles beckoning us to check them out with artist like Cindy Black, John Pizzarelli, guitarist Mark Whitfield and a new Box-set from Prestige Records featuring trumpeter and jazz legend Miles Davis recordings from the label. Do enjoy, and whatever you do keep the spirit of jazz alive as you go about your daily activities!

Featured Album of the Week

Cindy Blackman | Another Lifetime – [Four Quarters Ent, 2010]

Cindy Blackman - Another Lifetime

Miles Davis called him a “little genius” and “the fire, the creative spark” of his ’60s quintet, which arguably featured the best rhythm section jazz has ever known. The rhythmic instigator was Tony Williams-only a teenager when he joined the group-who went on to become one of the greatest drummers-if not the greatest-of all time. When he tragically died at the age of 51 in 1997 in the midst of continuing to speed ahead with new compositional projects, he left in his wake a drummer who counted him an invaluable mentor and close friend whose career has been a testament to Williams’ legacy. Cindy Blackman is not only one of contemporary music’s most creative drummers but also a passionate witness to the role model Williams provided to her.

Miles Davis | Nefertiti

Tags

African American, Jazz, Miles Davis, Trumpet

Miles Davis | Nefertiti – [Columbia/Legacy, 1968]

Miles Davis - Nefertiti

“Nefertiti,” one of 1967’s most interesting collections of music, is a landmark album and unquestionably one of the finest efforts by Miles and his superior cast of players.

The album is a rarity for the group in a few ways- Miles does not contribute a piece to it, nor does Ron Carter, and allowed the mature songwriting of Wayne Shorter,(“Fall,” “Pinnochio,” the title track) and the blossoming art of Herbie Hancock (“Madness,” and “Riot“) and even Tony Williams (“Hand Jive”) to take center stage. The results are a delicious mix of emotional ballads from Shorter and harder edged up-tempo gems from Hancock and Williams, as well as Shorter’s “Pinocchio.”

The album is ripe with the emotion and restlessness that drove the group to greater heights. Shorter’s ballads are among the most beautiful he wrote for the group, and each having humbled themes to it, as well. The lyrical talents of Miles and Wayne are augmented by Hancock, who is a much stronger presence on this album than on their prior efforts. Carter and Williams make strong, supple (though never conventional) grooves that allow the soloists to freely sing their hearts out. “Fall” and the title track are among the band’s finest lyrical moments ever captured.

The Blue Note Highlights Collectors Box

Tags

African American, Blue Note Records, Charlie Parker, Jazz, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins

Various Artists | The Blue Note Highlights Collectors Box – [Blue Note Records, 2009]

VA, Blue Note - Collectors Box

2009 eight CD box set. The Blue Note Highlights Collectors Box was compiled by Jazz icon Hans Mantel commemorating the 70th Birthday of Blue Note Records. This box set contains four single CD’s, and two double CD’s, each with their own specific theme. The emphasis is on Blue Note’s golden era between 1955 and 1967 with all material taken from commercially available recordings.

The CD’s almost exclusively feature artists who were protagonists of Blue Note and whose recordings helped to define the Blue Note sound. These high quality compilation CDs include exquisite artwork, liner notes and booklets. 100 tracks including cuts from Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins and many others. Blue Note.

Thanks for the twit New Jazz Music, this is probably one of the finest collections in the history of jazz from Blue Note Records. —Amazon.com

..:: Source: NewJazz ::..

House honors Miles Davis’ – “Kind of Blue”

Tags

African American, Jazz, Miles Davis, Trumpet

Miles Davis

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fifty years after jazz legend Miles Davis recorded “Kind of Blue,” the House voted Tuesday to honor the landmark album’s contribution to the genre.

Davis collaborated on the record with saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, pianists Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb.

Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat who sponsored the measure, said the group “made musical history and changed the artistic landscape of this country and in some ways the world.” The resolution recognizing the album’s 50th anniversary passed on a 409-0 vote.

Columbia Records released the album in August 1959. The original album – only 37 minutes – had a huge impact that extended beyond jazz to other types of music – from rock musicians such as the Allman Brothers and Carlos Santana to minimalist composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

Davis, one of the greatest trumpeters in jazz history, died of a stroke in 1991 at age 65. He was renowned for morphing his cool jazz into fusion and experimental sounds that later gave way to jazz funk and hip-hop grooves. Cobb is the only musician from the “Kind of Blue” album who is still alive.

The resolution is H.Res.894.

..:: Source: APNews ::..

Miles Davis | Sketches of Spain

Tags

African American, Jazz, Miles Davis, Trumpet

Miles Davis | Sketches of Spain [Classic Jazz/Legacy/1960]

Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain

The crown jewel of the epic Evans/Davis triptych that began with MILES AHEAD and PORGY AND BESS, SKETCHES OF SPAIN is as emotionally compelling as any performance in the trumpeter’s remarkable body of works.

Combining as it does the emotional …    Full Descriptiongravity of two cultures–the deep song of flamenco music and the rich lament of the blues–SKETCHES OF SPAIN is a musical hybrid of enormous power and beauty. Gil Evans’ immense canvas of orchestral colors inspires some of Davis’ most deeply felt solo flights. He paints vast vistas of velvety, shimmering night sounds, and through it all runs the mountainous backbone of Spain’s native rhythms and chants.

..:: Source: CDUniverse.com ::..