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From: jab@ritcv.UUCP (John A Biles)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Time to talk about Jazz, again...
Message-ID: <674@ritcv.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Oct-83 11:09:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: ritcv.674
Posted: Wed Oct 19 11:09:04 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Oct-83 07:34:57 EDT
References: drux3.829
Lines: 66


OK, Tom.  I agreed with you for a while, but when you started dumping
on Miles and said his and Ornette's music was "crap," I had to
respond.

First, you should check out some early Ornette like the late 50's
albums on Contemporary.  These are interesting "developmental" records
that show Ornette's roots.  After listening to these, I realized,
"Hey, he really can play."  I'll be the first to agree that his music
is relatively inaccessible to most folks, but calling it "crap" is a
little parochial.  Like many things in "art," I can appreciate it
without having to like it.

Now to Miles.  From what you said, I would assume that you have
listened only to his stuff from about 1970 on.  That material, I
agree, is rather depressing;  I would say he has run out of steam or
maybe has just gotten so angry that he doesn't want to deal with
people much at all any more.  Miles has never been one to respect an
audience (or anyone else), but you don't have to watch him when you
listen to his records.

Miles Davis, almost single handedly, led jazz into 3 different and
important stylistic periods.  In 1949, 59, and 69 he released albums
that shaped the next respective ten years of jazz history, and, I
feel, he was the dominant jazz musician through the 50's and 60's.

The 1949 album, "Birth of the Cool" on Capital, was just that, the
birth of the "cool" school of jazz in the 50's.  Just check out the
people on that album, Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, Gil Evans, J. J.
Johnson, John Lewis, and so many others.  Check out Miles' playing on
Godchild;  it's a great solo.

In 1959 the album "Kind of Blue" ushered in a "modal" period where the
emphasis was on scales instead of chords.  John Coltrane, Cannonball
Adderley, and Bill Evans were on hand.  "All Blues" and "So What" are
here and are classics.

Bitch's Brew (or was it Bitches?) in 69 was probably the first real
"fusion" album.  John McLaughlin, Larry Corryel (sic?), Weather
Report, Return to Forever;  they're all on that album in earlier
incarnations.

Now about Miles' abilities as a trumpet player.  His technique is
perfect for how he "hears" a tune.  Yes, he cracks a lot of notes, but
so do Diz and Thad Jones and Woody Shaw and even the nearly perfect
Wynton Marsalis.  Even Clifford Brown (my favorite) missed a few, and
that's part of jazz;  when you're composing in real time and
performing in parallel, you're gonna miss some.  Most jazz musicians
would rather miss a note now and then trying to do something new than
play the same old stuff perfectly.  If you want to hear Miles play
fast, try his numerous albums with Bird back in the 40's;  he was
maybe the most interesting trumpet player that Parker used in his
working quintet.

Finally a word about Miles' personality.  I agree that he is downright
insulting to audiences, jazz "fans" and former colleagues (he's dumped
all over Gil Evans after that fine series of albums in the late 50's).
He's always had something of an "artistic temperment" (ie. been a pain
in the ass to deal with), but until the 70's he made undeniably great
and influential music.  He must have something good underneath the
angry exterior, though, because he recently married Cicely Tyson.

Well, the flame seems to be subsiding.  Gee, that felt kind of good!

			- Al Biles, RIT
			{seismo, allegra}!rochester!ritcv!jab