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Miles Davis
In a Silent Way
(Columbia/Legacy/Sony)
Miles Davis
The Best of Miles Davis
(Columbia/Legacy/Sony)
First Appeared at The Music Box, January 2003, Volume 10, #1
Written by John Metzger
Throughout his ever-evolving career, Miles Davis made many
classic albums, including Sketches of Spain, Kind of Blue,
Bitches Brew, and Nefertiti. But none of his recordings was quite as
beautiful as his first full-fledged jazz fusion project In a Silent Way.
Indeed, Davis couldn’t have chosen a better title for the suite of songs that
filled two of the most gorgeous album sides ever recorded. His embrace of
gentle, quiet, and peaceful space forms a comforting lullaby for the soul.
Yet, it wasn’t entirely Davis and his band that concocted
such a stunning masterpiece. True, his musicianship was top-notch, as was his
selection of musical collaborators, which included saxophonist Wayne Shorter,
bassist Dave Holland, guitarist John McLaughlin, percussionist Tony Williams,
and the triple keyboard attack of Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Zawinul.
But the original recordings sessions — which are replicated on The Complete
Silent Way Sessions (a remarkable glimpse at the creative process) — lack
the cohesive delicacy of the final document. To sort things out, Davis turned to
producer Teo Macero, who took the fragments and masterfully pieced together the
perfect album — one of the finest ever recorded, regardless of genre.
From the opening organ chord and the ensuing rhythmic
swirl of Shhh/Peaceful to the closing tenderness of the title track,
Davis and his band enter the secret space of dreams, lighting the darkness of
night with vibrant, dancing visions of heaven. In a Silent Way marked the
beginning of a new era in jazz, though no one who followed ever found quite the
blissful splendor of Davis and his crew. For that, one must turn to the rock
world, where twenty years later the Grateful Dead employed MIDI technology to
turn its Space segments — particularly those that led into Brent
Mydland’s I Will Take You Home — into similarly gorgeous extravaganzas.
For those with only the most passing interest in Davis’
career, one need look no further than the recently released compilation The
Best of Miles Davis. For the record, this collection attempts to do the
impossible, and given that Davis recorded numerous classic albums, a single
disc, greatest hits set seems somewhat silly. Nevertheless, the aggregation of
music — which selects songs recorded for Columbia Records between 1957 and 1984
— offers a nifty introductory, if somewhat fleeting, look at one of the most
gifted musicians, composers, and band leaders the world has ever known. Be
warned, however, one listen to The Best of Miles Davis, and you’ll surely
be picking up all of the albums from which its tracks are compiled.
In a Silent Way — 
The Best of Miles Davis — ½
In a Silent Way is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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The Best of Miles Davis is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2002
The Music Box
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