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From: wjhe@hlexa.UUCP (Bill Hery)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: miles davis
Message-ID: <4259@hlexa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Jun-85 16:11:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: hlexa.4259
Posted: Wed Jun 19 16:11:36 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Jun-85 10:19:12 EDT
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> 
> I guess Miles is trendy, but you make it sound like he's a
> follower.  On the contrary, Miles has been a pioneer, and for
> the last 25-30 years, there hasn't been a more influntial jazz
> artist.  He was very influential in be-bop, cool jazz, and he is
> the undisputed father of jazz-rock fusion.  

Not be-bop.  He was a valued practicioner of be-bop during his
period with Charlie Parker, but came along too late to be
very influential.  He certainly was one of the founders of
cool jazz and fusion, as well as modal jazz and hard bop.

>                                             A significant
> fraction of the most important jazz musicians in the last two
> decades started out playing for Miles:  John Coltrane, Gil
> Evans, Cannonball Adderly, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Josef
> Zaniwul, John MacLaughlin, and Wayne Shorter, to name a few.  

They all played with Miles, but not all started out with Miles.
Coltrane and Adderly were already somewhat known before joining
Miles, although Coltrane was not accepted by the critics and was able
to use his time with Miles to gain acceptance while developing his
own ideas.  Chick Corea was well konw in both 'mainstream' jazz
(as Stan Getz' pianist) and avante garde circles before his brief
period with Miles; however, his interest in fusion seems to stem
from his time with Miles.  Zawinul was well known as Adderly's
pianist and the composer of his hit Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.  Wayne
Shorter left Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers to join Miles.

Others who have worked with Miles early in their careers include
Sonny Rollins (who was rumored to be Miles choice over Coltrane
for the famous quintet), pianist Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Red Garland,
Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Sam Rivers,
John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Horace Silver, and Charles Mingus.  Keith
Jarrett was in the revolving piano chair (as were Corea and Zawinul)
after Herbie Hancock left Miles.

The point is that he had a fantasitc ear for talent (I say had because
I haven't heard any evidence of it for several years).

> Time cover at the Newport Jazz Festival last year.  Every
> Miles' album I own, I recommend heartily:  My Funny Valentine,
> Sketches of Spain, Kind of Blue, In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew,
> We Want Miles.  
> I guess that's a pretty sad collection, considering all Miles
> has done, but I'm working on it.

Try some of the recently reissued Prestige LP's, particularly the
five with THE QUINTET (Miles, Trane, Garland, Chambers and Philly
Joe) for some great music;  the ones with Monk are interesting
because Miles and Monk's music don't really fit together, but somhow
they made it work.

> > Stravinky's "The Rite of Spring" deserves it's reputation.  It's the
> > best piece of music ever written in the classical music genre!  (Okay,
> > I know nothing about classical music (and it isn't even classical --
> > it's "modern") and am unfit to comment, but so what!)
 
Larry Coryell has recorded this transcribed for guitar.  Has anyone
heard it yet?

Bill Hery