Joni Mitchell — Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter

★★★★✰

   One of songwriters and great folk-rock singers who reached great worldwide fame as performing artist is representative of great Canadian American tradition, bright stage personality and guitarist Joni Mitchell. She is famous as singer and well known as performer, but her creative effort in songwriting was on the first place from the very beginning. With strong roots in folk and folk rock, she was close to jazz scene as well. She started as songwriter and folk clubs singer in sixties, her debut album Song to a Seagull was produced by David Crosby and released in March 1968 by Reprise label. She was author of all songs, singer, played guitar and piano in all accompaniments and designed album cover. Bass guitarist Stephen Stills played only one song but became her constant coworker and playing much more on her next albums. Releasing every year new album in five years she became an icon of folk rock.
   Shortly after Mitchell’s first folk rock records reach commercial success, she started to widen stylistic attitude. Consequently, her name was increasingly falling into category of jazz vocalists. It’s interesting process she was keeping the same position towards popular ballad and narrative poetry of rock songs changing only some elements of her musical style. In early seventies it was still somehow risky idea to get against actual trends. Folk rock albums made her famous, so experiments with other styles could eventually cost her losing some of her fans. So, she was moving to folk and jazz crossover in a mild way, adding more and more interesting musicians, and staying herself the same artistic personality. She was recording and touring with super league of jazz musicians. As time goes by she had considerably more listeners on jazz and some other ambitious genres of rock and pop music, but she was still associated with folk rock.
   After the end of Vietnam war in seventies, with social change driven by economic crisis, many artists were searching for new solutions of art representation as a space for culture discourse. This perspective was perfect for continuing some trends popular in sixties. Renewed ideas were consumed as backward wave of folk music. Joni Mitchell as many others was still on top of popularity. It really didn’t matter how innovative she was and how far her new songs were behind borders of the style, she was still considered as folk singer. Like she was intending to confirm this stereotype, in many performances she was still a singer with a guitar, or even a bard with natural vocal technique and nice melodies. Sometimes it had to be a real challenge to reach it in such natural way, and many of her project were stylized to fulfill this idea. This tendency was present in live performances while not clearly visible in Mitchell’s studio recordings, where she was more ambitious on intellectual and artistic level.

Joni Mitchell — Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977)

  
   One of her best works, published in December 1977 double LP album Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter was also the one scandalously underestimated. Recorded for Asylum label in London, New York and Hollywood with huge group of musicians and various arrangements. Definitely, most significant element besides of Joni Mitchell’s voice and guitars was sound of Jaco Pastorius’ fretless bass. As a sideman he gave this music electrifying power of jazz phrasing, finding perfect balance with leader’s voice. In late seventies his sound was iconic element of Weather Report sound. Musicians from this band were saxophonist Wayne Shorter, percussionists Manolo Badrena, and Alex Acuña. Others were also known for their contribution in fusion jazz guitarist Larry Carlton, percussionist Airto Moreira, movie music composer, pianist Michel Colombier, lead singer from funk band Rufus Chaka Khan and drummer John Guerin known from early Frank Zappa’s albums.
   Restricted use of jazz idioms on Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter was visionary. It sounded like jazz moved back to it’s popular music roots. Even in simple songs, for example in Jericho, where Jaco Pastorius bass and Joni Mitchell’s guitar with drums by John Guerin and bongos by Don Alias create thick and intensive instrumental layer. In this fabric soprano sax by Wayne Shorter is so discrete and colorful as it sounds like just extra sound dimension. This corresponds with unusual melody, full of unexpected changes, based on irregular, free verse poetry. It gives a mind-blowing effect. In opposite example Paprika Plains we receive expanded composition spanning whole side B of first LP. Similar group of musicians (except absence of congas and Joni Mitchell plays piano) and symphony orchestra orchestrated by Michael Gibbs gives this composition solid formal frame. Even final jazz solo by Wayne Shorter runs with the whole composition like a cadenza. The other side of musical experience are The Tenth World and Dreamland, both featuring essentially percussion band. For experimenting with styles, balancing ambitious musical creations with intense poetry this album deserves four stars. I am giving four and a half for personal input of Jaco Pastorius – this is one of his best accomplishments.

Weather Report – Mysterious Traveller

April 30 - INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY celebrated under the auspices of UNESCO since 2012

★★★★★

   Considering the leading role of various jazz ensembles of the seventies, it is reasonable to believe the paramount band in fusion jazz was Weather Report. It has longest period of activity, unlike John Mc Laughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters or Chick Corea’s Return to Forever, Weather Report has more than one leader, the style of the band was the most varied in different moments and it comprised widest inspirations of jazz, rock, funk and world music. And what is most momentous, Weather Report was more than any other of mentioned bands related with all style. It was continuing the sound of first Miles Davies’ electric band; it was connected with structures of modern jazz, world music, funk and rock.
   Through the 16 years of Weather Report’s history band has published 16 official albums (13 studio and 3 live). Constant activity required many changes of style. As two leaders, Wayne Shorter and Josef Zawinul were playing through all band’s history, and drummers were changing frequently, the best way to set the activity of the band into periods is to focus on bassists, the third most regular position in the band. It can be divided into four periods depending of presence of bass players: Miroslav Vitous years (1971-1973), Alphonso Johnson years (1974-1976), Jaco Pastorious years (1977-1981) and Victor Bailey years (1982-1986) being the final period in the history of the band.
   After great success of first Weather Report album, after spread of new fusion sound, band was changing its direction. First turn in the history of Weather Report was parting with Miroslav Vitous after three studio records and one album of live recordings (Live in Tokio). Fifth Weather Report album under somehow symbolic title Mysterious Traveller was a sensation of 1974 music market. Clear and transparent, alive and energetic, many dimensional yet focused, this music has potential to inspire and to answer the question of possible development of fusion jazz, although this was still the time the style was specified as jazz-rock. This was also first Weather Report album with new bass player.

Weather Report – Mysterious Traveller (1974)

   The Mysterious Traveler can be seen as an attempt of refreshing the idea of fusion by resumption the late sixties idea of style synthesis and improvising freedom. Compositions of this album are more open and unfinished than before, loosely in formal attempt, but more free in pure musical and dancing context. In 1974 this was like fulfilling the idea of fusion, not just between jazz and rock, but between jazz and all genres of popular music, with special feature position of R&B. Funk syncopation and rhythmic ostinatos gave these compositions character and drive as was remembered from Miles Davis first electric albums. The sound space was expanded by lots of rhythmic instruments, electronic effects and human voices. Five vocalists (Edna Wright, Marti McCall, Jessica Smith, James Gilstrad and Billie Barnum) have their part in Nubian Sundance only, but as it was first and longest track, it dominated whole album with powerful audacity and intensity.
   The narration was dominated by funky compositions of A-Side: Nubian Sundance and Cucumber Slumber, and ethnic framework of 2nd Side: Mysterious Traveller and Jungle Book. These compositions were divided by three compositions American Tango, Blackthorn Rose and Scarlet Woman. First pair has its contrast in American Tango where band appeared for the last time with Miroslav Vitous. Its style is connected with Sweetnighter compositions, although it is also related to the actual direction. After four records strengthening position of Miroslav Vitous, this was first of three records with Alphonso Johnson playing bass guitar. The sound of the band was broaden by the drummers Ishmael Wilburn, and Dom Um Romão playing percussion and additional musicians in some tracks only: drummer Skip Hadden, and percussionist Ray Barretto, Meruga, Steve Little playing timpani, Isacoff playing tabla and Don Ashworth playing ocarinas and woodwinds.
   The same relation can be noticed in Scarlet Woman, nice continuation of firmly established Weather Report style composition. Between these layers and sections the real pearl is Blackthorn Rose, a chamber duo of Wayne Shorter and Joseph Zawinul, beautiful example of responsive improvising. In a way Mysterious Traveller album is an evidence of searching for new directions. It had some transition moments of references with the earlier era of the band but the power of compositions are taken from lots of creative ideas. Five stars for one of iconic albums of the seventies. 

Herbie Hancock – V.S.O.P.

   After 15 years of intensive musical activity Herbie Hancock was as much respected artist so the program of Newport Jazz Festival contained a special evening dedicated to his music, was termed as “Retrospective of The Music of Herbie Hancock”. In the age of 36 he was already a giant of modern jazz. Concert presented by George Wein was in fact not quite a retrospective. It featured three Hancock’s bands. First was a quintet with musicians Hancock played from early days of his career. Later this band continued and was called V.S.O.P. Quintet. Second was introduced as Herbie Hancock Sextet, but in fact it was Mwandishi Band. Third was the most recent project, representing current trend in Hancock’s music. Indeed, in 1976 The Headhunters was most popular of all Hancock’s bands. On liner notes Herbie Hancock wrote himself, he concluded this concert was so much one musician tribute, but enabling bigger group of musicians to play together.
   The whole program of this evening has been recorded by CBS and published as the double album under the title V.S.O.P., but this time it was only title of the album signed by Herbie Hancock. Next Hancock’s album was titled The Quintet and signed by V.S.O.P. ensemble. So can be stated this live album gave its name to the band. Two records covering the concert performance are perfect passage through modern jazz and great documentary of Hancock’s artistic achievements. From hard bop and modal jazz quintet, through early fusion sextet to the funky, intensively rhythmic trance music of Headhunters band.

Herbie Hancock – V. S. O. P. (1976)

   Serious shape of Herbie Hancock’s music, its natural flowing connected and interwining with different traditions takes its sources from modern jazz of the 50’s. This is still significantly connected with the idea of music as most efficient language for emotional and spiritual communication. It could be observed on every moment of this recording. When after Piano Introduction Herbie Hancock is joined by Ron Carter and Tony Williams it’s like initiation into the mystery of musical value system. This way Maiden Voyage continues with series of solos by Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter and the leader of the quintet called later V.S.O.P. Next theme Nefertiti is like small jazz interlude before filling the entire second side Eye of the Hurricane.
   The same serious attitude one can find in funk recordings. Opening 4th side Hang Up Your Hang Ups with modal solos of Bennie Maupin on tenor saxophone and Herbie Hancock on electric piano is nothing else than modal jazz amplified with new rhythmic intensity. Power of rhythmic funk continuity based on section Paul Jackson (bg), James Levi (dr), Kenneth Nash (perc.) and two guitarists: Ray Parker jr. and Wah Wah Watson, shows new trance idea of modal jazz. Second record of the album was also the second part of the show. The idea was to show the newer trends in Hancock’s music. But it was the revival of oldest band and the Eye of the Hurricane, what became the start of a real new chapter of Herbie Hancock’s career. After the first fascination with the sound and rhythm of funk, in second half of the decade there was high time for the return of well known forms of jazz expression.

Miles Davis – Big Fun

★★★★★

   In sixties Miles Davis with his quintet and with Gil Evans created series of recordings which had the power of defining modern jazz. After 1969, starting with remarkable In a Silent Way, Miles Davis’ electric fusion was the style setting trends in seventies. In this period his artistry flourished with deep quality of pure musical contents. It is characterized by an abundance of excellent recordings, new electrified sound, revised framework for more compositional and improvisational freedom. This qualities can be treated as a continuation of the main trends present in Davis’ music in the sixties. Among the albums from this period, many of which are considered to be brilliant, probably the most underrated is Big Fun, a double LP album, released April 19, 1974. Problem with this album was the moment of publication, over four years after first recordings and diversity of material forming a patchwork of four different pieces recorded during four different sessions in the years 1969, 1970 and 1972. Every piece has length of full record side and takes from 21 to 28 minutes.

   It was three months after album In a Silent Way was released and more than two months after Bitches Brew sessions, when Miles Davis resumed recording sessions continuing his experiments with electric sound and fusion. He started recording along with Steve Grossman (ss), Bennie Maupin (bcl), guitarist John McLaughlin, Khalil Balakrishna playing electric sitar, Bihari Sharima playing tabla and tamboura, pianists Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, bassists Ron Carter and Harvey Brooks, drummer Billy Cobham and Airto Moreira on percussion. First session took place in New York Columbia Studio E, November 1st, 1969. Musicians recorded one piece Great Expectations, including Joe Zavinul’s Orange Lady. Almost the same band took part in recording Lonely Fire November 28th, 1969. Changes in line-up were saxophonist Wayne Shorter, double bassist Dave Holland. There was also the second drummer Jack DeJohnette. Lonely Fire was placed as recording closing the Big Fun set with sound and style most close to the opening piece.

Miles Davis – Big Fun (1974)

   Second side composition Ife was recorded during last session June 12th, 1972. The band was almost all new, besides Davis and Maupin all line-up has changed. Soprano players Carlos Garnett and Sonny Fortune (also flute), pianists Lonnie Smith and Harold Williams Jr. (also sitar), bassist Michael Henderson, drummers Al Foster and William Hurt, Mtume (James Foreman) playing African percussion and Badal Roy on table – whole band was almost the same as recorded On the Corner and musical ideas of Ife and other recordings of this period are clearly connected. This was most recent sound of Miles Davis band.

   Although many musicians played on previous albums, the sound of this recording was significantly different. And it was not only the effect of introducing Indian instruments, nor the first use of trumpet mute in electric period. Musicians still presented experimenting approach. The first recordings were done five months before Bitches Brew was in trade. Album In a Silent Way was received very well, but musicians knew nothing about what will be the public reaction for the Bitches Brew album. This situation was for sure in a way uncomfortable but the same way forcing more artistic freedom.
   Since the sixties jazz musicians were abandoning formal rules obtained earlier. Traditional dividing into theme and improvised choruses sections in bop, cool and hard-bop was more and more lousy. In free jazz era this form seemed to be totally obsolete, but Davis didn’t accept this as a new mode. Looking for own way became main narration of albums and concerts in electric era. In 1969 he turned to folk music, connecting sound of Indian and African instruments with muted trumpet (as earlier he used the Harmon mute) and the sound of electric instruments, guitar, organ, pianos and even electric sitar. Most natural way of building musical narration became freely distributed, improvised sections developing over hypnotic rhythm and bass line figures. This gave his music the epic effect of breaking rules and touching the core of human condition.

   Most complex and longest composition on this album is Go Ahead John. Recording March 3rd, 1970 group was smaller than typical Miles Davis’ personnel. This time trumpet’s companion was only Steve Grossman on soprano sax, John McLaughlin on guitar, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette. And guitar was only harmonic instrument used. The title evokes guitarist John McLaughlin whose solos plays featured role in introducing and closing parts of the piece. The dominant of the whole construction are still two episodes of Miles Davis trumpet solos. While in Great Expectations Davis played with distorted sound giving him almost rock guitar expression, this time without mute his trumpet sounds mild and silky. The sharper sound of McLaughlin’s guitar paradoxically reinforcing lyricism and abstract calm of blues played as central episode by Davis and Holland. In this part Davis’ trumpet was overdubbed with repetitions duplicating phrases and giving this music spatial and mysterious outfit. Sound space was extremely significant. Even some drums parts were divided in fast cuts into two channels like there were two complementary drummers. In coda comes back initial funky guitar with Grossman’s soprano solo. Whole work credited as Miles Davis’ composition was executed in series of studio treatments by Teo Macero – yet another example of excellent cooperation between Davis and great Columbia producer.
   Considering the diversity, richness and permanent underrating, definitively 5 stars.

Weather Report – I Sing the Body Electric

There are only few jazz ensembles being as much popular among jazz fans and those, who have never switched to jazz. Even comparing to all fusion groups, Weather Report was always more recognizable than Herbie Hancock’s „Head Hunters”, Chick Corea’s „Return to Forever” or John McLaughlin’s „Mahavishnu Orchestra”. The great audience appreciation was not instantly the effect of musicians work. Also the connection between group’s style and the idea of fusion jazz was not automatic. After success of their first record, musicians were trying to expand their sound possibilities. The core of the group was still constituted by the same three artists – Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter and Miroslav Vitouš. In effect of disagreements during European tour promoting first album of Weather Report group stop their cooperation with Alphonse Mouzon. For live gigs and later recordings they had engaged Brazilian percussionist Dom Um Romão and after parting with Mouzon they incorporated new drummer Eric Gravatt.

After great success of Weather Reports debut which was chose an album of the year in Down Beat readers poll, after series of successful tours all over the world, in 1972 fusion super group published their second album. Opening with Zawinul’s spatial and ambient composition Unknown Soldier, first part of this record is full of brilliant ideas, surprising turns of musical narration and freely impressions. The way musicians are organizing the contents of this album means group withdrawal from collective improvisation and basing on intuition creation. Predominant model of musical material organization is composition, form improvisations is dialoguing between Shorter playing saxophones and Zawinul on electronic keyboards or between Shorter and Vitouš who was playing his own acoustic version of funk. Like in Miles Davis’ fusion recordings, rhythmic intensity is the driving force of Weather Report sound. Drummers and percussion players were changing, but still this feature applies to all records by the band.

Weather Report – I Sing the Body Electric (1972)

The second album from the band Weather Report was an attempt to link the various tendencies and the result of seeking a new balance between the elements of arrangements and improvisation. It has been assumed two different points of view, one option was studio recording in part one and different one was live recording in the second part. The A-Side was recorded in New York CBS Studios – first two selections in November 1971, next two in January 1972. In Unknown Soldier group was augmented by Andrew White playing English horn, flutist Hubert Laws Jr., trumpeter Wilmer Wise and voices of Joshie Armstrong, Yolande Bavan and Chapman Roberts. And The Moors is developing from solo played by Ralph Towner on 12-string guitar. All B-Side selections were recorded January 13th, 1972 in Tokyo concert performance. And here construction of the pieces is no longer the matter of composition. Dialogues between Zawinul and Shorter tend to collective improvisation, which at the start recalls the style of Miles Davis’ band during the In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew period, however, is much denser. In Surucucú and Directions returning echoes of free jazz and late sixties modern jazz.

The rich, dense structure of the album has been extended by semantic context of the title. The phrase I Sing the Body Electric is taken probably from the Ray Bradbury short story collection with the same tittle. But it is also the tittle of very well known poem by Walt Whitman, where he is saying about the sensual human body. Whitman is idealizing human body, sanctifying women and men bodies and giving them sacred dimension. Agatha, the heroine of Bradbury’s story, is a child with doubts about a surrogate of her dead mother – she rejects Electrical Grandmother until she realizes the surrogate is immortal. The title of Weather Report album corresponds with the cover by Ed Lee, with art by Jack Trompeter and Fred Swanson. The designers have focused their attention on the futuristic references to electronic instrumentation and spatial sound of this music.

Weather Report – Weather Report

Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter were friends since 1959 when they played in Maynard Ferguson Big Band. Next time they met in one ensemble when working together with Miles Davis during recording sessions for his avant-garde fusion albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. Shorter was tenor and soprano saxophonist in Davis’ quintets since 1964. It is interresting, John Coltrane proposed Shorter as his replacement in 1960, but this time he found his engagement in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Playing with famous lineup of Davis’ quintet since 1964, Wayne Shorter was one of very few artists with so long onstage experience with Miles Davis. But in 1970 he was ready to go off the quintet for more artistic freedom and autonomy. Zawinul was in much the same situation after parting the Julian Cannonball Adderly’s Quintet where he played through the whole decade. He was composer of some well known themes as Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Walk Tall or Country Preacher.

Working in shadow of famous leaders Zawinul and Shorter successfully achieved their featured positions as composers, musicians and improvisers. Few months after parting with Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley quintets, Shorter and Zawinul begun working together with brilliant Czech bass virtuoso Miroslav Vitouš. They founded a new group called Weather Report which was vehicle for developing the idea of fusion in more collective direction. Three musicians were three pillars of musical style and work’s construction but complete lineup included also drummer Alphonse Mouzon and percussionist Airto Moreira. In February 1971 they recorded their debut album named the same as the name of the group – Weather Report.

Weather Report – Weather Report (1971)

As a contradiction to previous recordings with Miles Davis, new group moved towards more popular idea of fusion music. In place of long trance compositions, Weather Report album includes eight compositions, four on every side what can evoke standard rock songs. Also sound and construction ideas can be connected with some progressive rock experiences like Soft Machine. Later development of Weather Report’s music drove to more complex sound and strong rhythmic continuity, but on their first album musicians played more ambient, more tone color and still more trance music than ever after. Weather Report’s debut is more conceptual than Davis’ fusion recordings but it’s quite enough jazz in rhythmic, harmonic and melodic sense.

After all Weather Report album was warmly received by listeners and critics. In Down Beat Readers Poll this record has been chosen as a jazz album of the year. This success has its basis in searching modern sound. Of course many listeners were concerned of Joe Zawinul and his electronic keyboards, but in fact not smaller contribution to the sound of this compositions has soprano saxophone of Wayne Shorter. It was quite a revelation, pure soprano sounds like trails of light in thick rhythmic structures. This could be the material for next (but never happened) revolution in jazz. Some ideas were later presented by other saxophonists. Some other had been developed in music of Weather Report and whole generation of fusion artists.

Weather Report – Sweetnighter

Among many groundbreaking recordings and concerts presented by groups of progressive rock and electric jazz in early seventies, Weather Report should be seen as quite unique phenomenon. Considering Miles Davis recordings from electric period, Weather Report become one of most recognizable modern jazz groups playing fusion jazz. And it was always much more popular than other fusion, jazz-rock formations, even these less ambitious, playing soft jazz or rock with elements of improvisation. But even these less ambitious groups in early seventies were ephemeras and didn’t play significant role in the world of music. Weather Report was highly noted from their first recording.

In the beginnings group was joint enterprise of three musicians Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter and Miroslav Vitous. Zawinul and Shorter were friends since 1959 when they met playing in Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band. They knew classically trained bass virtuoso Miroslav Vitous from Miles Davis electric sessions. These three musicians became core of the group for the first three years of its history while other instrumentalists, especially drummers and percussionists were permanently changing. Third studio album of the group and last record of this lineup was Sweetnighter – almost 45 minutes of music recorded during five days session in February 1973.

Weather Report – Sweetnighter  (1973)

Weather Report personnel on Sweetnighter is diversified and varies in each track. Joe Zawinul playing keyboards – electric and acoustic piano and synthesizer – clearly catches the role of a leader. Wayne Shorter plays soprano saxophone and he is establishing the sound that became hallmark of the group and subject of thousand imitations through the whole seventies. Miroslav Vitous is playing in all tunes but last one, Wayne Shorter’s Non-Stop Home – the track can be seen as forecast of next album Mysterious Traveller. Uncomplicated, groovy ostinatos were more funky or R&B than jazz and were definitely not enough sophisticated to satisfy ambitious virtuoso. On next album Vitous is present only in one tune and these are marks of his conflict with Zawinul which nature was probably not only musical. The whole group encloses five other musicians. There are two drummers – Eric Gravatt and Herschel Dwellingham, two percussionists – Dom Um Romao and Steve „Muruga” Booker, as well one multi instrumentalist Andrew N. White III playing electric bass and English horn.

What makes Sweetnighter so exceptional is the rhythmic continuity. Trance intensity of 125th Street Congress, a 12-minutes long composition by Zawinul on B-Side brings on mind few years earlier Miles Davis electric recordings. A kind of sensation in 1973 was opening the album 13-minutes track and based on ostinatos – Boogie Woogie Waltz. Repetitions were the principle method of organizing whole material of the composition – in accompaniment as well as in solos which are series of repetitions of the same motifs. Some listeners believed the title and triple metre of this composition are associated with Zawinul’s Vienna origins, but considering characteristics of boogie woogie and waltz it is clear the idea was to connect these two into one. From the construction point of view the more traditional theme is Shorter’s Manolete, but it is still based on repeating motifs. Generally program of Sweetnighter album is the cycle of dreamy sound visions came from new possibilities of electronics and drive by repeating strong rhythmic patterns. This is what made Weather Report group of the year 1973 in Down Beat Readers Poll and their third album one of best  definitions of fusion jazz.

Miles Davis – Bitches Brew

★★★★★

When we meet great artist we always have problem with comprehending his work – the bigger he or she is, the worst problem have anyone who tries to capture in words his individual experience. When Miles Davis (1926-1991) was active musician and artist, standard procedure in writing about his music was to observe small range of his work, for example any of his records or concerts and asking why this comes after another or what can it means in context of something he did before. And it was quite satisfied job because every record of this artist was full, uncompromised statement of artist’s will. Critics had a lot of work to do. But after artist is gone in uproar of eternal jam session, we have different standpoint on his work. It’s complete in new meaning, now in every element of his output we see a piece of the whole and now we can fully understand how great musician he was.
Month after In a Silent Way has been released, in the end of August 1969, Davis back to the same CBS 30th Street Studio in New York. And while in previous album base was still quintet from Filles de Kilimanjaro augmented occasionally with few more pianists and guitarist, the Bitches Brew ultimately ends Davis' quintets era. All instruments except trumpet were multiplied, on reeds played Wayne Shorter (soprano sax) and Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet). The rest was huge rhythmic section with three drummers Lenny White, Jack de Johnette, Charles Alias playing congas and drums (only in Miles Runs the Voodoo Down) and percussionist Jim Riley playing shaker and congas, bass player Dave Holland with Harvey Brooks on Fender bass, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul and Larry Young on electric piano and John McLaughlin on electric guitar – in many parts all of them playing simultaneously. John McLaughling is playing rhythmic passages, but in some parts he is folowing also modal improvisations and melodic patterns. In many fragments his guitar is standalone as much as Wayne Shorter’s soprano. Thus these two artists play the role of counterpointing Davis' phrases, almost the same way as John Coltrane and Julian Adderly did in the Kind of Blue sextett.

Miles Davis – Bitches Brew

Such setting allowed this section to found the new kind of sound and rhythmic intensity, clearly different from mainstream, cool jazz or hard bop. It was closer to psychedelic funk-rock, sometimes called acid-rock which is suitable especially for its trance elements adopted by Davis in 1969. With loosely constructed wide phrases he was building emotional tension without dividing improvisations into traditional choruses. In fact some compositions still preserve traditional model – for example in Spanish Key – but even close up with traditional forms can't change the general aspect of motif and phrase repeatability. This way he gave pre-ambient sensation of time and space continuance. But internally this music is diverse and highly expressive. In short piece on the 3rd side titled John McLaughlin Miles Davis even did not appear. Next side trumpet is predominating and in end piece of the album, Wayne Shorter’s Sanctuary, Davis played one of greatest cool solo ever.
The lineup recorded in studio was filled out by producer Teo Macero, and once more, just like proceeding In a Silent Way, recorded material was mixed and dubbed, using multi-tracking and tape loops. Inspired by works of studio composers from Experimental Music Center Columbia-Princeton and many other experiments of 1940s and 1950s, using fragments of recorded music, sometimes in very small particles, Macero created construction of whole pieces, building them in the way, musicians never heard while playing. This innovative approach decided Bitches Brew is one of turning points in history of XX-century music. Released in April 1970 and sold in more than half million copies, Bitches Brew became one of greatest Davis’ successes. It was also great achievement of musicians involved in this project, deciding for what they were doing in next dacade.
Not only music has changed, gatefold sleeve designed by Mati Klarwein clearly indicates counterculture of late sixties as reference for intellectual attitude. Headline on the sleeve, over main tittle says: „Directions in Music by Miles Davis”. Literally the same as it was in released January 1969 Filles de Kilimanjaro. And connection between these records is clear. The process of revolutionary transition from opposed modal and cool jazz into fusion of these traditions which started in 1968 when he recorded the Filles de Kilimanjaro in Bitches Brew had fulfilled. Modern jazz of 1960s gone away and future never looked as cool or modern as it once happened. Some modern jazz lovers did not accept these changes and criticized records from electric period of Miles Davis, but the fact is, society has changed and shortly nothing was the same as usual.

Herbie Hancock V.S.O.P. - The Quintet

   Herbie Hancock became a jazz star long time before greater audience had the chance to know his funk and electro-jazz albums. After brilliant making one’s way up in Sixties when he played in Oliver Nelson’s Big Band and legendary Miles Davis Quintet, he didn’t engage in jazz-rock movement. Of course he was in personnel of first Miles Davis’s jazz-rock recording sessions for In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew and many more but working on his own ideas he worked out the style that was closer to funk and more popular, dance music. It’s quite understandable – piano in fusion-jazz was a second-row instrument, in first were rock-guitar, jazz-saxophone and any other melodic instrument like violin or trumpet. So he hit groovy music on the jazz-soul-funk frontier where keyboard instruments were present from the gospell times. And this became his great commercial success. Maybe this popularity gave him intention to prove he was still a great and intellectual jazz pianist.

   Probably the first one of many periodically recurring projects of Herbie Hancock was the V.S.O.P. In may 1977 Hancock explained his own idea saying: „generations who never saw us perform in the Sixties will get a chance to see what we look like playing together”. In fact V.S.O.P. was nearly Miles Davis’ quintet from mid Sixties but with Freddie Hubbard playing trumpet and flugelhorn. Wayne Shorter who was always second soloist in Miles Davis quintet, here is more mature and conscious of himself. And his soprano and tenor saxophones sound really prolific, not just following the leader. Rhythm section were Ron Carter and Tony Williams and they were just like in Miles Davis recordings ten years before, both intellectually brilliant and emotionally deep. Spiritual binder and discrete leader of the group was Herbie Hancock. Like his piano states harmonic and rhythmic connection between rhythm section and melodic instruments, his idea of quintet without soloists, the group of equal jazz musicians became the real basis for creating great bunch of dynamically changing pictures of instrumental creation.

Herbie Hancock V.S.O.P. - The Quintet

   The Quintet by V.S.O.P. is an album recorded live during two gigs – July 16th, 1977 at The Greek Theatre in University of California in Berkeley and July 18th, 1977 at San Diego Civic Theatre. The tittles of compositions are: One of a Kind (Hubbard), Jessica (Hancock), Lawra (Williams), Dolores (Shorter), Third Plane (Carter), Byrdlike (Hubbard), Darts (Hancock) and Little Waltz (Carter). The best thing Hancock did as a leader was good balance between five artists. As critic of Dawn Beat noticed, listeners of the V.S.O.P. concerts „were thrilled by the charisma generated by five masters who listened to one another's inner ears, spoke to each other at multiple levels, and, no matter how dense the musical content, conveyed their messages to the audience with amazing clarity”.

   Maybe it is not a milestone in jazz recording history. Maybe even it is true that every musician of The V.S.O.P. Quintet made better performances on other albums, some of them with Miles Davis, some under their own names. But for me this is one of top jazz records in the history. The idea of modern but conservative group was introduced while choosing the name. It was postmodern per se and the same way understood by the public. In late 70’s musicians with hard-bop past in structure of typical modern quintet do not tried to be the avant-garde, but they built the two decades summary of modern jazz. And they did this in an unforgettable shape.