wjhe@hlexa.UUCP (Bill Hery) (06/19/85)
> > 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
mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (06/20/85)
> 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. > I second that, noting especially the WORKIN', STEAMIN' COOKIN' and RELAXIN' albums. Other notable Miles LPs are FILLES OF KILIMANJARO, FOUR AND MORE, ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT, PORGY AND BESS, WALKIN'. Miles and Monk were indeed not really compatible, but they somehow made some memorable music. Their reading of "The Man I Love" with Milt Jackson (re-issued on TALLEST TREES) is superb for the contrast between Miles' and Monk's approaches to the tune. Miles reinterprets it, staying in its lyrical context, while Monk hews close to the melody while reinventing its harmonic and rhythmic frameworks. The two solos are separated by Jackson's feature, which splices the blues into the tune, just to keep everybody honest. Marcel Simon